Interim Michigan football coach doesn’t hold back on ‘malfunctioning’ program, changes neded

Biff Poggi is being brutally honest in his assessment of the state of the Michigan football program amid his push to be named the next head coach of the Wolverines. 

In the wake of Sherrone Moore’s firing, Poggi has been put in charge of the team to lead them through their upcoming bowl game against Texas on New Year’s Eve, and when addressing reporters on Monday, he gave a blunt take on where the program stands. 

Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi answers a question during an NCAA college football Citrus Bowl news conference in Winter Park, Fla., Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, ahead of his team’s New Year’s Eve appearance against Texas. AP

“It has been five years of, let’s just call it what it is, a malfunctioning organization where there’s something every year,” he said. “I know that the athletic director has made it very clear he doesn’t want any more of that. If I am named the coach — which again, I don’t know if I am — there will be massive self-examination of what happens in the building, and you can expect a lot of changes.”

Michigan has expanded its investigation to take a wider look into the athletic department and the culture around it. 

Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block is conducting the inquiry. 

Despite the program winning a national title in 2023, Michigan has been plagued by scandals in recent years, ranging from allegations that former co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss had illegally accessed private student information to recruiting violations under former head coach Jim Harbaugh. 

The Conor Stalions sign-stealing scandal dominated the headlines during the 2023 season. 

“To me, and I think a lot of our coaches, it kind of stopped being fun,” Poggi said. “It’s been a long time. It was just not a comfortable [situation].”

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Poggi also said he felt like the players had started to have fun again since the most recent scandal broke. Moore was fired with cause earlier this month after the university said he had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. He was later arrested for breaking into the home of a female football staffer and threatening suicide.

Poggi has held the role of head coach previously at Charlotte during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, where he went 6-16 during that span. 

Sherrone Moore during his court hearing. Washtenaw County Court

Michigan athletic administrators have had discussions with Poggi about taking the head coaching role full time and it’s one that he’s expressed a desire to do. 

“I know what the hell I’m doing. I have a long 10-year history of knowledge of this place,” Poggi said when asked why he thinks Michigan should hire him. “This place is really important to me. … This place is magical. And the program means a lot to me. And it’s one of the things I want to fix before I go smoke myself to death with cigars. It’s one of the things I want to fix. I want to fix this program.”