Jim Harbaugh makes offensive coordinator decision at Michigan

Sherrone Moore will be Michigan's sole offensive coordinator in 2023, Jim Harbaugh announced Friday.

The move comes after first-year co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss's surprise firing amid a criminal investigation by the U-M police department. Kirk Campbell, a former offensive coordinator at Old Dominion, was promoted to quarterbacks coach after spending the 2022 season as an offensive analyst -- thereby clearing the way for Harbaugh to elevate Moore to the sole coordinator.

Moore's appointment represents the third play-caller in as many seasons for the maize and blue, as well as the seventh different offensive coordinator arrangement in Harbaugh's nine seasons at Michigan. 

2015-17: Tim Drevno 
2018: No designated coordinator; Pep Hamilton primary play-caller
2019-20: Josh Gattis
2021: Josh Gattis/Sherrone Moore
2022: Matt Weiss/Sherrone Moore
2023: Sherrone Moore

Moore's turn as the sole OC will be a great opportunity for him and, for the rest of us, a test of whether correlation equals causation.

The 37-year-old Moore was Central Michigan's assistant head coach, tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator before joining Harbaugh's staff ahead of the 2018 campaign. He spent three season coaching Wolverine tight ends before Harbaugh promoted him to co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach -- a move that happens to coincide with the best back-to-back Michigan seasons in decades.

After ranking 51st in yards per carry in 2020, Michigan jumped to 18th in 2021 and jumped again to third this past season, averaging 5.58 yards a pop. For those efforts, prior winners named him the FootballScoop Offensive Line Coach of the Year in 2022. 

Michigan is the back-to-back winner of the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation's top offensive line. Michigan also happens to be the back-to-back Big Ten champions, back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinalists, and owns back-to-back wins over Ohio State for the first time since 1999-00.

Now heading an offense that returns many key pieces from a 2022 team that was undefeated until a 6-point upset loss to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, the 2023 campaign will be a massive opportunity for Moore. 

Sole play calling may prove to be too much for Moore on top of his existing duties managing the offense line. Or, on the other hand, Moore could elevate the entire Michigan offense in the same way he clearly improved the O-line. 

If that's the case, he could instantly rocket to one of the top head coaching candidates in the 2023-24 cycle.

As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.