Biff Poggi Steps In as Michigan’s Interim Coach Amid Turmoil, Focused on Listening and Stability
Biff Poggi isn’t new to Michigan, but the situation he’s stepping into is anything but routine. With the sudden dismissal of Sherrone Moore, Poggi has been thrust into the interim head coaching role just weeks before Michigan’s postseason showdown in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. And while game prep is on the horizon, his first priority has been something more foundational: listening.
Since taking over, Poggi has made it clear that his focus is on the players, their families, and the staff - the people most impacted by Moore’s unexpected departure. The former associate head coach has been meeting individually with players and holding Zoom calls with parents, trying to navigate the emotional fallout from the coaching shake-up.
“The message has been listening,” Poggi said. “I want to understand what the kids are feeling and what their parents are feeling. There’s been a wide range of emotions, as you can imagine.”
And that range has been raw. Poggi didn’t sugarcoat the mood inside the program.
“It has been a tumultuous time,” he said. “Disbelief, then anger, then really, what we're in right now is the kids, quite frankly, feel very betrayed, and we're trying to work through that.”
It’s a tough spot for any team - let alone one preparing for a New Year’s Eve bowl game against a top-15 opponent. Michigan, ranked No. 18, will face No.
13 Texas on Dec. 31 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. But before the Wolverines can think about X’s and O’s, they’ve had to recalibrate emotionally and mentally.
Poggi is uniquely positioned to help stabilize the program. He’s not just a familiar face - he’s been part of Michigan’s fabric across multiple eras.
He first joined the Wolverines as an analyst in 2016 and later served as associate head coach under Jim Harbaugh during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. That stretch included Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances - a period when Michigan reasserted itself as a national power.
After a brief and rocky stint as the head coach at Charlotte, where he went 6-16 before being let go late in the 2024 season, Poggi returned to Michigan in 2025 in a leadership role. He’s already stepped into the interim spotlight this season, filling in for Moore during suspensions tied to the sign-stealing investigation that made headlines earlier in the year.
Now, he’s back in that role - but this time, the circumstances are even more dramatic. Moore’s firing with cause sent shockwaves through the program and added Michigan to a growing list of Power Four schools searching for a new head coach heading into 2026.
Despite the chaos, Michigan remains one of college football’s premier destinations. The brand is still strong, the talent is still there, and the expectations haven’t changed. Poggi’s job, for now, is to steady the ship - to help a shaken locker room find its footing and prepare to compete.
The Citrus Bowl won’t just be a game - it’ll be a test of resilience. And for Poggi, it’s a familiar sideline, but a new kind of challenge.