ANN ARBOR – If Michigan tight end Marlin Klein had his way, the university wouldn’t have to look very far for its next head football coach.
On Friday, Klein was one of three Michigan players to speak publicly for the first time since Sherrone Moore was fired on Dec. 10 for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer. Biff Poggi, who has served as associate head coach this season, was named interim coach following Moore’s dismissal and has been a unifying figure during a tumultuous time for the program.
“What I want to see is Coach Poggi,” Klein said when asked what he’s looking for in a new head coach. “The reason for that is the person he is. He truly just cares about the people within the building. Not just the coaches, not just the players, but really everybody. I mean, he cares about the janitor. He wants to make sure that everybody’s doing good. You can just tell. His son played here. He has a relationship to this place where it’s a part of him.
“He’s a Michigan man, and he loves it here. Everybody loves him. I do believe that he’s the right person for this job, me coming back or not. I want to see him in that position, because I do believe that he’s the best fit for the younger guys and the guys that are still in this locker room.”
Players used words such as “shocked” and “blindsided” by the Moore’s firing and subsequent arrest. Their program has captured national attention for all the wrong reasons, yet they are in the midst of preparing for the Dec. 31 Citrus Bowl against Texas.
Klein commended Poggi, a former hedge fund manager and longtime high school coach, for providing support for each player while keeping the whole team on track.
“He wants to make sure everybody’s doing good,” Klein said. “He knows this is a tough time, and he doesn’t want to feel like he’s just overstepping Coach Moore and just like get rid of Coach Moore. But he also is helping us to get over it. He’s checking up on us, taking care of us in practice. Practice has been fun going good-on-good. It’s just been fun, honestly, seeing those guys get the spirit back, just remember why they came here and how much they love the game of football. It’s been so fun these past four days, just getting back on the field with those guys, being led by Coach Poggi.”
Poggi, 65, has less than two full seasons of NCAA head coaching experience. He was fired with two games remaining in his second season at Charlotte last year, finishing with a 6-16 record. But Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder doesn’t believe that should disqualify him from the Wolverines’ job.
Poggi is in his third stint at Michigan. He was associate head coach when the team won back-to-back Big Ten championships in 2021 and 2022 under Jim Harbaugh. Several players credited Poggi for helping improve the culture inside the program after a disastrous 2-4 season in 2020.
Now, with Michigan’s athletic department under investigation by law firm Jenner & Block, Poggi must navigate the program through a difficult period.
Moore also called upon Poggi earlier this season when he was suspended for two games. With Poggi filling in as head coach, Michigan crushed Central Michigan 63-3 in Week 3 before going on the road and downing Nebraska 30-27 in Week 4. The Wolverines will have a chance to get a third win under Poggi on Dec. 31. So far, Michigan senior linebacker Jimmy Rolder said, Poggi has been the leader the team needs.
“When it happened, obviously no one really knew how to react or what to do, but we really just rallied around Coach Biff,” Rolder said. “At the end of the day, it’s about the players here. He’s been voicing that a bunch to us. We just come in and put in the work every single day because we got a big game coming up on New Year’s Eve. That’s all we’re really focused on. The players are just rallying around Coach Biff because we love him. He’s done a great job and we care for him and he cares about us a lot. It hasn’t been too hard shifting gears, getting back into bowl prep.”
Michigan redshirt junior cornerback Zeke Berry said the players haven’t been given many details about the university’s coaching search. The candidate list includes coaches with more successful track records at the NCAA level such as Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham, but Poggi is the only candidate to interview for the job so far, according to The Michigan Insider’s Sam Webb.
Klein is hoping the search begins and ends with Poggi.
“He’s a legend,” Klein said. “He’s been a mentor of mine since I got here my freshman year. I do think he’s the man for the job. Everybody loves him. The vibe in the building, it’s been awesome. We’re really just focused on Texas now and trying to get over it as soon as possible. With him in charge, the boys are doing good.”
