The questions about Sherrone Moore’s tenure at Michigan keep getting louder. The Wolverines head coach, who took over the program in Jan 2024 after Jim Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers, has faced mounting criticism during his first full season at the helm.
Dave Portnoy, the Barstool Sports founder and Michigan alumnus, made his position clear during a recent appearance on the Barstool Gambling podcast.
Moore took the helm of a program that won the national championship just weeks before his promotion, but the circumstances of his hiring were far from ideal. Harbaugh departed on Jan 24, 2024, four days after the title game and well after the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal had already committed elsewhere.
The Wolverines lost their starting quarterback, running back, top two receivers, and the entire starting offensive line from that championship team. Moore signed a five-year contract worth $27.5 million, but the weight of expectations never lightened despite the difficult hand he was dealt.
“If he (Sherrone Moore) doesn’t beat Ohio State I’m probably at he’s not the guy already mode. But if he keeps stinkin and then beating Ohio State then it’s a confusing situation… I can kinda live with that” –@stoolpresidente pic.twitter.com/aMmkCWxy8b
— Viva La Stool (@VivaLaStool) October 15, 2025
In 2024 season, Michigan finished 8-5 in the regular season, a record that left many disappointed after three straight Big Ten championships under Harbaugh. The offense struggled throughout much of the year, with
Moore cycling through quarterbacks Davis Warren and Alex Orji before the team found any consistency.
Moore victories over second-ranked Buckeyes 13-10 in Columbus, with a 19-13 upset of Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl, bought Moore some goodwill, but they did not silence the doubters.
Dave Portnoy’s Ultimatum Puts Ohio State Game Front and Center
Portnoy did not hold back when discussing Moore’s status with the program:
“There’s a lot of people in Michigan circles, I think who believe he is not the guy. I think it’s too early but I will say this, and I know uh Blogman rants about it, you have to make decisions. There’s no, I’m not there yet. I want to see the rest of this season play out. We, I think the quarterback’s very good. I hate the play calling but if, if you believe he’s not the guy, there’s no point waiting around.
“Like even the Patriots, the Patriots with Jerod Mayo, like hired him, fired him really quickly and they got the guy. They got Vrabel, and it turned everything around like that. So, but I need to see improvement and I don’t know what happens if we do the same exact thing that we do every year with him or last year, which is stink, and then beat Ohio State.
“I mean if he doesn’t beat Ohio State, I’m probably at he’s not the guy already mode. But if he keeps stinkin’ and then beating Ohio State, then it’s a confusing situation…Because in a weird way, it’s like okay. I can kind of live with that. Like, if we don’t win and if we go 0 and 10 and then beat Ohio State every year, I can talk my talk. I can do that” Portnoy said.
The Wolverines have won four straight in the Ohio State rivalry, their first such streak in the 21st century, and Moore was the offensive coordinator for one of those wins and the acting head coach for another. He then delivered the victory in his first season as the permanent head coach.
The Wolverines will keep fighting. Whether that fight includes beating Ohio State again this season may ultimately determine how long Moore gets to lead the program he once helped win a national championship.
