ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The University of Michigan football program finds itself without a coach with the transfer portal that allows players to jump ship opening in just a month.

Michigan’s fumbles.

One of the most coveted coaching positions in college sports broke open after Michigan fired Sherrone Moore on Wednesday. That means the program is in disarray with players left in a lurch and the transfer portal opening Jan. 2.

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David Portnoy, owner of the Barstool Sports website and one of the football program’s most recognizable boosters, spelled out what is at stake in an X post on Thursday.

“The crazy part of this Michigan situation is the power struggle that I’m sure is going on between Regents, boosters, AD, NIL, all fighting for influence and power on who picks next coach,” Portnoy said. “It’s like Game of Thrones in Ann Arbor with the fate of the most important and magical college football program at stake. … But decisions need to be made and they need to be made quickly.”

 

John Bacon, a New York Times best-selling author who has taught at the University of Michigan and wrote a book about the football program, listed three possible candidates: Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, University of Washington coach Jedd Fisch and Army coach Jeff Monken.

Coach hopefuls and their records.

DeBoer is 19-7 in his two years at Alabama after replacing legendary coach Nick Saban. DeBoer was 9-4 last year and is 10-3 this year. Alabama hadn’t had a three-loss season since 2010. DeBoer had far more success at the University of Washington when he went 25-3 in his two years there. His Huskies team lost 34-13 to Michigan in the 2023 national championship game.

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Fisch took Arizona from 1-11 in 2021 to 10-3 in 2023 and has been 14-11 at Washington the past two years.

Monken has a career 88-62 record at Army and was 12-2 in 2024.

Dan Orlovsky, an analyst for ESPN and former Detroit Lions quarterback, said that Michigan has to “swing big.”

“It’s got to be big. This is not something where you go just find a coach that you think is good. Because you won’t chase down those other programs with just a guy.”

Other names in the mix.

Jason Whitlock, a former reporter at The Ann Arbor News and a national sports analyst, said his sources included a former Wolverine athlete and donor who said that Michigan would likely hire one of these candidates: former LSU coach Brian Kelly, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, Fisch, and former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher.

Whitlock said Swinney “makes a lot of sense.”