In just his second season as the head coach of Michigan, Sherrone Moore was fired by the Wolverines ahead of the team's bowl game against Texas. Moore had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, and in his place, Biff Poggi stepped in as the interim head coach.

It was well known that Poggi wanted to become the Wolverines' next head coach. He had applied for the job and Poggi was instrumental in keeping the team together during a time when everything could've fallen apart. It wasn't Poggi's first rodeo as the Wolverines' head coach. In the same season, Moore was sidelined for two games and Poggi was at the helm during the Central Michigan and Nebraska games.

We all know the story: Kyle Whittingham was hired as the Wolverines' head coach. But according to Poggi, speaking with Jordan Strack and Chris Wormley of 'The Stadium & Main Show', he was a finalist for the job. It came down to him and Whittingham.

"Look, I was coaching the team and I don't know if you guys know this, but I had applied for the job," Poggi said. "I was a finalist. It came down to me and Kyle. We were the two finalists. And I mean, I'm down in Florida at the Citrus Bowl, Kyle gets hired, he comes down and he was like in a tsunami. He had no idea the difference between Utah and Michigan, what the expectations are, what the fan engagement is, what the alumni engagement is, how much money you can raise and have to raise, how good the players are."

Poggi got his head coaching career starting at Gilman High School in Maryland. He coached there from 1996-2015 as the head man, before leaving to come to Michigan under Jim Harbaugh in an analyst role. He then left the Wolverines after the 2016 season to coach powerhouse Saint Frances Academy.

Jim Harbaugh got Poggi back in 2021 and 2022 as an Associate Head Coach, but he left to become the head coach of Charlotte. Poggi was fired in 2024 and came back to coach under Sherrone Moore. Poggi built relationships in Ann Arbor and he believed he was going to become the next coach of Michigan.

"It was hard because I really thought I was going to get it," Poggi said of not getting the job. "I had four interviews. They all went really well. I was getting very positive feedback from the search guy and it was all going very well and I thought we were also the players favorite. Now, that doesn't always mean that you — that's the right thing. What hurt was that, not hurt, but what was disappointing was that I wasn't going to be around those kids anymore,"

Poggi says give Whittingham time

This isn't the first time Poggi has preached patience with the Michigan coaching staff — namely Kyle Whittingham. Coming from the Big 12 to the Big Ten is going to have its hurdles. Big Ten football is a different brand and Whittingham is currently finding that out as the Wolverines have one of the worst offenses among Power Four teams.

Poggi believes Whittingam is a good coach and he had previously said it's 'what the doctor ordered'. He said to give Whittingam up to three seasons, and if there are still issues, then a business decision can be made.

"First of all, you don't get into coaching unless you love being around young people, unless you love football," said Poggi. "And nobody gets into coaching to lose. The guy has won, I don't know, 180 some games. Now, again, it's Utah, and I'm not busting Utah. It's Utah and the Big 12, okay? And that's a lot different than the Big Ten. but he's a good football man.

"He's got good football coaches around him. He cares about the kids. He's not going to do anything to embarrass the University of Michigan at all off the field. I think you got to give him time. The guy's been there, you know, he came in January.... And I think giving him some time to do it, he's won. He's a winner. He's a good man. He's a good football coach."

Poggi is currently an analyst, but has made it known he'd like to get back into coaching. He has already made statements about the Maryland opening once the Terrapins fired Mike Locksley. As for Michigan, the Wolverines will take on Michigan State on Saturday night in hopes of winning their sixth game of the season.