Coaches I've heard as potential replacements for Moore:
Kalen DeBoer
Jesse Minter
Jedd Fisch
Jason Eck
Pulling Temp's preliminary list from the Michigan Offseason thread:
Jesse Minter - I just can't imagine Michigan starting their coaching search with someone who is actively under a "show cause" for infractions committed while at Michigan. Yes, I know it ends for Minter in a few months, but still, Warde Manuel would be exercising a stunning level of shamelessness to fly in a private jet to Inglewood.
Jason Eck - Maybe Eck will get a call testing the waters, but I think the stars are aligning for Eck to eventually get a call from Madison. And coming off one good year out in the Mountain West helming New Mexico, wouldn't hiring Eck feel like when Michigan hired Brady Hoke after his turnaround 9-4 season at San Diego State?
Kalen DeBoer - Hiring DeBoer would take at least $12M a year because that's about what Alabama is paying him. And wouldn't it take a bit of begging? Because I don't see why DeBoer would be inclined to leave Alabama for Michigan. More importantly, DeBoer isn't exactly a schematic fit. His offenses depend on having an elite QB do everything. Yes, that can be said for other elite programs, however, with DeBoer, his emphasis on running the offense entirely through the QB is done at a cost to the running game. His successful teams do not run the ball effectively and on the other side of the ball, DeBoer's defenses don't reliably stop the run. A big upside is that Underwood will develop well under DeBoer.
Jedd Fisch - I think this is the most realistic hire. As well as the "safe" hire for Michigan to make. And Jedd Fisch will want this job dearly; he will pull out all the stops to sell himself to Michigan's hiring committee. I have nothing bad to say about the work Jedd Fisch did in Arizona. The turnaround Fisch helmed during his three seasons at Arizona, going from 1-11 in 2021 to 10-3 in 2023, was truly miraculous. He schemed his offenses well, his quarterbacks developed and improved game by game, and he quickly turned a talent deprived roster into a very well-rounded roster across each unit. He was also able to identify under-recruited prospects that turned out to be better than expected. Arizona is 9-3 this season and several of the Wildcats All-Conference players were prospects with no other scholarship offers. The longer he was at Arizona, the more his teams played prepared, weren't intimidated by better opponents, and didn't mind piling it on against teams more at their level.
Arizona fans weren't happy with how Fisch fled to Washington, however, when he was hired, we all knew he would take a more prestigious job at first chance. I doubt Michigan will have to worry about Fisch leaving.
