Michigan brought back a familiar face to its football program on Monday.
After going 8-5 in his first full season as head coach, Sherrone Moore hired one of Jim Harbaugh’s former confidants. The Wolverines introduced Biff Poggi as their new associate head coach.
Poggi held the same role under Harbaugh in 2021 and 2022 before spending the last two seasons as Charlotte’s head coach. He celebrated his return to Michigan after the program’s announcement.
“I am thrilled to officially be back in Ann Arbor!! This will always be my Football Home,” Poggi wrote. “So thankful for [Sherrone] Moore, Warde Manuel and Doug Gnodtke, all old friends. Sometimes you don’t know what a special place this is until you have been somewhere else. #GOBLUE. A special thanks to my son Henry, who was a great player here and introduced our family to OUR SCHOOL.”
Harbaugh called Poggi a “trusted agent and known friend” when he left for Charlotte. Poggi led the 49ers to a 6-16 record before getting fired late in the 2024 campaign.
“Biff’s a great mentor and has been that for me,” Harbaugh told The Athletic in 2022. “He likes to scheme it up, and he knows how to coach and helps coach the coaches. … As far as helping me personally, there’s not too many decisions that I make that I don’t run by Biff and we talk it out.”
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Former Wolverines defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, now head coach for the Seattle Seahawks, called Poggi “the consigliere” at Michigan. Macdonald said the former Duke offensive lineman was an “incredible asset” to him and the Wolverines.
“He doesn’t sugarcoat sh–, and you learn to appreciate that about him,” Macdonald told The Athletic. “He knows what buttons to push. He knew when to gas me up to give me confidence, and he knew when to sit me down to give me advice. He just knows. It’s like, ‘Damn, this guy is the godfather.'”
The Wolverines took a step back from their 2023 national championship without Harbaugh, but they ended the season on a soaring high note. Michigan defeated Ohio State before besting Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
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