Jim Harbaugh could be missing some pivotal games for Michigan.
Despite denying any knowledge of the allegations against the program, Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten for the final three games of the 2023 regular season, meaning he is currently in line to miss games against Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State. Michigan attempted to get a temporary restraining order placed on the suspension before Saturday's game against Penn State, but the hearing will be scheduled for Friday, Nov. 17, at 9 a.m. ET, a day before the game against Maryland.
With Harbaugh potentially out for the rest of the season, it begs the questions of who will fill it in his place? At least for Saturday, Sherrone Moore will be the acting head coach against Penn State.
For Michigan, there are a number of options on the board. Harbaugh served a three-game suspension at the start of the season for alleged recruiting violations, which allowed for current Michigan staff members to take charge at the start of the season. In total, four different coaches were tabbed to lead the way for those three games, giving them a taste of what it is like to be a head coach at the college level.
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The Sporting News takes a look at other potential interim head coach options for Michigan if Harbaugh is forced to miss the remainder of the regular season.
Who would be Michigan's interim head coach?
Sherrone Moore
Moore is the current offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, and he will be the acting head coach when Michigan plays Penn State on Saturday. He has been with Michigan since 2018.
A former offensive guard at Oklahoma, the 37-year-old got into coaching right after retiring from playing. He was hired as a grad assistant at Louisville in 2009, working under Steve Kragthorpe in the role for two seasons before he was promoted to the Cardinals' tight ends coach.
He left Louisville in 2014 for Central Michigan, spending two years as the Chippewas' tight ends coach before he also took on the positions of assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator. Moore was at Central Michigan for four seasons before he was brought in by Harbaugh as Michigan's new tight ends coach in 2018. He eventually was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, and then earned the sole status as OC ahead of this season.
Moore also had the top job Sept. 16 against Bowling Green, the third and final game Harbaugh was forced to sit out. The Wolverines downed the Falcons 31-6.
Mike Hart
Mike Hart would be far and away the most popular choice among fans to take over as an interim head coach. The former Wolverines running back is currently the team's run game coordinator/running backs coach.
Hart was a sixth-round pick in 2008 by the Colts, playing for three seasons in the NFL before getting into coaching. He first joined Eastern Michigan as an offensive quality coach in 2011 before earning a promotion to be the program's running backs coach for the next two seasons.
In 2014, Hart made the in-state switch to Western Michigan, serving as the running backs coach from 2014 to 2015. He held the same position at Syracuse for a season and at Indiana for three years before he was promoted in 2020 to running backs coach/assistant head coach.
Now 37, Hart returned to his alma mater in 2021 as the running backs coach and was tabbed in 2022 to also be the run game coordinator. This season, Hart split head coaching duties with Harbaugh's son Jay, who is the team's special teams coordinator, for Michigan's Sept. 9 contest against UNLV, a 35-7 win for the Wolverines.
Jesse Minter
Minter is the current defensive coordinator for Michigan. He is in his first year with the program, working alongside co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale.
The 40-year-old former college wide receiver began his coaching career at Notre Dame, where he served as a defensive intern for the 2006 season. He then was a grad assistant for two seasons at Cincinnati, a linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Indiana State from 2009 to 2012, and then the defensive coordinator for Georgia State from 2013 to 2016.
Minter elected to go to the NFL in 2017, joining the Ravens to work with the defensive backs. He held roles in Baltimore from 2017 to 2020, and then was hired by Vanderbilt to be the Commodores' defensive coordinators and safeties coach.
After two years with Vanderbilt, Minter joined Michigan this past February. He was tabbed to take the head coach role for the season opener against East Carolina, a 30-3 victory for Michigan.
Minter's father, Rick, has worked as a college or NFL coach for decades and was head coach at the University of Cincinnati for 10 seasons. He is currently a defensive analyst on the Michigan staff.
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Jay Harbaugh
Could there be another Harbaugh taking over a college program? It's possible, with Jim's son, Jay, currently serving as the Michigan's special teams coordinator and safeties coach.
The 34-year-old got his coaching start in 2008 at Oregon State. Mike Riley was the coach of the Beavers at the time, and had previously worked with Jay's father in the NFL when Riley served as the Chargers' head coach and Harbaugh was the team's QB. The younger Harbaugh served as as an undergraduate assistant while getting his degree.
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Following his graduation from Oregon State, Harbaugh got a crack in the NFL, joining his uncle, John, the current Ravens head coach, in the Baltimore organization. He was the team's offensive quality control coach for three seasons.
In 2017, Harbaugh left his uncle to be a part of his father's coaching staff at Michigan. He initially was the tight ends coach and an assistant special teams coach for the Wolverines, but eventually took over as the special teams coordinator in 2017. He also worked with the running backs from 2017-20 and the tight ends in 2021 before moving to a role with the safeties, which he has held for two seasons.
