Sherrone Moore is the new head coach in Ann Arbor. Moore was always the choice — the only choice — to succeed Jim Harbaugh following his inevitable departure, but that factor can cloud one key aspect of the hiring.

Staying in-house with Moore is one of the riskiest plays Michigan and AD Warde Manuel can make.

Before we get into the risks, let’s first touch on one thing: Moore absolutely, undoubtedly earned this job in impressive fashion. After back-to-back Joe Moore Awards for his offensive line unit, Moore shined as the sole offensive coordinator for the team in 2023. And that’s without getting into his work as the acting head coach during Harbaugh’s suspension.

In particular, Moore shined in the final 3 games of the regular season with road wins over Penn State and Maryland to go with a rivalry victory over Ohio State. Moore absolutely answered any questions about whether he could handle the gameday duties of a head coach.

So, where is the risk in giving him the reins? That risk is ultimately divided into 2 major categories facing Moore.

What will Sherrone Moore’s coaching staff look like?

All along, the ideal situation for Michigan included Moore assuming the head coaching role while keeping defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and key components of Harbaugh’s coaching staff. Fans undoubtedly remember Harbaugh proudly proclaiming in the offseason that his assistant coaching staff likely contained 4 future head coaches. (Moore and Minter likely the best of that group.)

Unfortunately, we now know Moore will not have the benefit of that coaching staff. Per multiple reports, Minter is following Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers, along with prominent strength and conditioning staff director Ben Herbert. There are also reports special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh will join his father in the NFL, and it is unclear if any other assistants will leave for Harbaugh’s staff.

Where does that leave Moore? Even if no other assistants leave, the new head coach  has major shoes to fill during his first offseason leading the program. And the biggest dominoes may not include his on-field coaches.

During his introductory press conference, Moore said he has “an idea” who will call the offensive plays (and likely serve as OC for his staff). Based on that assessment, it sounds like the OC will come from an existing Wolverine assistant. It’s also worth noting quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell was the play-caller for the season opener when Moore was suspended.

Campbell would make sense in the position (and alleviate some concerns) due to his prior experience as a coordinator. He served as the OC for Ricky Rahne’s Old Dominion staff from 2020-21 and also spent time as an analyst at Penn State.

Even if Campbell does just fine replacing Moore in the OC role, that leaves a mess on defense to figure out. Along with Minter, Michigan already needs to replace linebackers coach Chris Partridge after he was fired mid-season.

And as noted, the on-field assistants are just a small piece of the puzzle. Moore will still have to replace Herbert in the strength and conditioning department, an individual Harbaugh previously credited as being the “X-factor” of the UM program.

“Nobody’s got Herb,” Harbaugh told FOX Sports at this year’s B1G Media Days. “Nobody” now includes Michigan and its new head coach.

For what it’s worth, Moore is reportedly staying in-house with Justin Tress as the new head strength coach. Tress might be perfect for the job, but there’s no replacing Herbert’s impact in the short-term.

All summed up, Moore is not simply stepping into a ready-made staff for his first head coaching stint. He will need to make major decisions to kickstart his first head coaching job ever. Oh, he’s also stepping into a national title-winning position with major expectations.

What will recruiting look like under Moore?

Here’s one bit of good news for the start of Moore’s tenure: Recruiting results were not the true lifeblood of the Wolverines. That might seem a bit disingenuous for a program that lived inside the top 20 nationally for recruiting, but the deeper results paint an interesting picture.

From 2020-23, the Wolverines never finished higher than 9th for the best recruiting class in the country. Michigan had the 17th-rated class per the 247 Sports Composite in 2023 and also finished outside the top 10 in 2021.

That’s a good sign for any head coach taking over a program. Simply based on Michigan’s reputation and the recent national title, Moore and his staff should have no problems replicating a top-20 class on a consistent basis.

Now for the bad news: It’s likely Michigan was able to experience success with those recruiting classes based on the work of Herbert. Moore won’t get that benefit.

With any coaching change, recruiting results and roster turnover are key pieces to watch. And, at least a few players seem unhappy with recent changes, including potential starting quarterback Alex Orji who tweeted a brief reaction Monday morning.

Could Michigan have negated the risk of hiring Moore by going in a different direction? Well yes and no.

Let’s not forget that letting Moore walk away — either to Jim Harbaugh’s NFL staff or a new coaching opportunity elsewhere — presented its own set of risks. Moore’s star was at an all-time high after the 2023 season, and he was always destined to get a head coaching job somewhere.

Losing Harbaugh to the NFL and watching Moore ascend to lead a new program elsewhere would be a tough pill to swallow. And it would have put Manuel front and center as the AD who lost Harbaugh to the NFL and Moore to a new destination in the same cycle. Understandably, Manuel and the Wolverines were never going to let that happen.

However, there is something to be said about hiring a proven head coach, particularly at a place like Michigan considering the trajectory of the roster entering 2024.

Harbaugh and his assistants are gone, and so is the meat of the national championship-winning roster. Superstar pieces like JJ McCarthy, Blake Corum and Junior Colson are gone, as are fellow veteran leaders Braiden McGregor, Zak Zinter, Trevor Keegan and Michael Barrett to go with a host of others.

In this era, many head coaches have utilized the portal to bring many players and recruits with them to a new destination. Considering the losses from the 2023 squad, a new coach bringing a new roster to Ann Arbor could have been an immediate benefit for the program. Time will tell.

Ultimately, Michigan was in a “damned if they do, damned if they don’t” situation. Sherrone Moore was ready for a head coaching job, be it in Ann Arbor or elsewhere. Still, that does not change the risks associated with Moore’s tenure.

If Moore succeeds, the payoff will be high. But, if he fails, the dangers associated with the move will become evident by the time the Wolverines are forced to move on.