By: Mike Huesmann
We played this song and dance last offseason with Jim Harbaugh courting the NFL, but the time has come now. Fresh off of a tumultuous and dominating season that saw the Wolverines win the national championship in dominating fashion, Harbaugh has left for pastures anew. This move makes sense, if Harbaugh really wants to be in the NFL again. If he doesn’t like the NFL this time, he can always do a Saban or Petrino and come back to college in a couple years with his pick of jobs. This job always has one interesting wrinkle, that of “The Michigan Man.” Will this come into play here? How many earlier candidates for this job have already taken new jobs? Here are five coaches who could be in the mix for this blue blood job and be the boss in Ann Arbor.
Sherrone Moore
Michigan, Offensive Coordinator
Moore has proved a dutiful coach for Harbaugh and his name has been brought up for numerous head coaching possibilities. The former Central Michigan and Louisville assistant became the sole OC here this season and the Wolverines haven’t skipped a beat. He has also deputized as the man in charge while Harbaugh served his suspension. Moore will almost certainly be in the mix here after his job as interim HC. He sits as the Vegas favorite right now.
Lance Leipold
Kansas, Head Coach
Leipold has both won and improved every school he’s coached at. What he is doing at Kansas is truly impressive, and people are noticing. His offenses are very creative and find ways to attack the defenses weaknesses. At Wisconsin-Whitewater he won 6 national championships and finished runner-up once, in 8 seasons there. He improved Buffalo and went to 3 bowl games in 6 years there. After recently completing his 3rd year at Kansas, he has won enough and proved himself so much that we may not see a 4th year in Lawrence.
Matt Campbell
Iowa State, Head Coach
Campbell has an impressive 86-61 record as a head coach at Toledo and Iowa State. He had been mentioned as a possibility for top level jobs before. After the Cyclones regressed in 2022 his stock cooled but he’s back to being mentioned for these jobs again. Iowa State had been very consistent with a high ceiling before the 4-8 season this past year, in which they had to replace many longtime contributors. They had been winning enough games a year for a good stretch, while playing the brand of football that only a Midwesterner could love. His teams got in street fights, negated opponent advantages, and even in losses tend to keep the games close (Great ATS record).
More Sports News
P.J. Fleck
Minnesota, Head Coach
Could we be rowing the boat in Ann Arbor? I’d put P.J. Fleck on the list, and so would Vegas. The betting odds have him as the second most likely replacement. He led Western Michigan to a 13-1 season in his final year at WMU. Since coming to Minnesota he has brought stability, culture, and a consistent run game to a team who needed all three. His Minnesota team was down on talent and lousy this year and still won Floyd of Rosedale and a bowl game, this was one of his best coaching jobs.
Jamey Chadwell
Liberty, Head Coach
Liberty head coach and former Coastal Carolina boss, Jamey Chadwell, has barely set a foot wrong as head coach in recent years. His Flames finished 13-1 with the sole loss coming to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. It is a mystery to me that he isn’t a P5 head coach yet, but Liberty certainly has the resources to keep him happy. Could this be the P5 job he finally lands? Michigan has a roster that would appeal to anyone and being a playoff contender, which he will be at Liberty, would be enough to get him to leave for a blue blood like Michigan.
