Leaders of the Maize and Blue: A History of Michigan Football Coaches
Since 1879, the Michigan Wolverines football program has been a cornerstone of college football. With a tradition of excellence and a passionate fanbase, the program's success is deeply intertwined with the individuals who have led the team from the sidelines. The University of Michigan football program has employed 22 head coaches en route to racking up more than 1,000 wins, more than any other program in the nation. Here's the breakdown of how those coaches contributed to the program's history.
The Formative Years (1879-1900)
In its early years, the Michigan football program lacked the structure of a modern coaching staff. For the first 11 years of its existence, Michigan didn't have an official head coach. It wasn't until 1891 that Frank Crawford and Mike Murphy took that designation. The duo only took up the post for one season, and a fast-spinning carousel of coaches began. The team's first recorded football game was in 1879, but the first season in which the team had a coaching staff was 1891.
While official sources list only Mike Murphy and Frank Crawford as the coaches of the 1891 team, the Chicago Daily Tribune reported in November 1891 that the Michigan team was "coached systematically" by Murphy, Crawford, Horace Greely Prettyman and James Duffy.
From 1870 through 1900, the longest tenured head coach was Gustave H. Ferbert, who collected an impressive 24-3-1 record in three seasons from 1896-1899. Nine coaches led the program during this period, each leaving their mark.
- Frank Crawford/Mike Murphy (1891): 4-5
- Frank E. Barbour (1892-1893): 14-8
- William L. McCauley (1894-1895): 17-2-1
- William D. Ward (1896): 9-1
- Gustave H. Ferbert (1896-1899): 24-3-1
- Langdon (Biff) Lea (1900): 7-2-1
After leaving Michigan, Murphy was the athletic trainer at the University of Pennsylvania for many years and coached the American track athletes at the Summer Olympics in 1900, 1908, and 1912. Medical student William McCauley took over in 1894 and led the team to a 17-2-1 record from 1894 to 1895. The 1895 team compiled an 8-1 record, won seven of their games by shutouts, and outscored their opponents by a combined score of 266 to 14. William Ward was the head coach for the 1896 team. Ward's team won the first nine consecutive games by a combined score of 256 to 4. With the departure of Ferbert, Michigan hired three-time Princeton All-American "Biffy" Lea to coach the 1900 team.
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The Yost Era and National Dominance (1901-1958)
The hiring of Fielding H. Yost in 1901 ushered in a new era of Michigan football. Prior to 1901, the Ivy League dominated the college football landscape. But the Wolverines rattled off four straight national championships from 1901 through 1904, a span in which Michigan never lost a game. It's important to note that these national championships, while recognized by the NCAA, were awarded retroactively by third-party foundations like the Helms Athletic Foundation and the National Championship Foundation in the middle and late 1900s, respectively. These foundations and Polls were how the national champion was decided until 1998.
Yost became the longest tenured coach, taking the position for a total of 25 seasons. The Michigan Wolverines football program is a college football team that represents the University of Michigan in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Big Ten Conference. Yost coached for the most seasons (25) and has the highest winning percentage (.833) of any coach who led the program for more than three seasons. He also won six national championships. Fielding H. Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams compiled a record of 55-1-1 and outscored opponents 2,821 to 42 in his first five seasons (1901-1905).
His successors in this era, such as Harry Kipke, Herbert (Fritz) Crisler, and Bennie Oosterbaan, won the program four more national championships. Michigan had nine head coaches between 1900 and 1989, each of whom has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame either as a coach or as a player: Langdon Lea, Yost, George Little, Elton Wieman, Kipke, Crisler, Oosterbaan, Elliott, and Schembechler.
- Fielding H. Yost (1901-1923, 1925-1926): 165-29-10
- George R. Little (1924): 6-2
- Elton E. (Tad) Wieman (1927-1928): 9-6-1
- Harry G. Kipke (1929-1937): 46-26-4
- Herbert (Fritz) Crisler (1938-1947): 71-16-3
- Bennie G. Oosterbaan (1948-1958): 63-33-4
When Yost retired after the 1923 football season, his assistant George Little took over as the new head coach. In 1925, Yost returned to the position of head coach through the end of the 1926 season. In 1929, Michigan's former All-American halfback Harry Kipke was hired to replace Wieman. In his first year as head coach, the Wolverines finished in an eighth place tie in the Big Ten with a 5-3-1 record. However, Kipke quickly turned things around, leading the Wolverines to four straight conference championships and two national titles between 1930 and 1933. The 1932 and 1933 national championships teams did not lose any games. In 1934, Kipke’s Wolverines fell from national champions to a tenth place finish in the conference with a 1-7 record. Fritz Crisler took over as head coach at Michigan in 1938 and remained in that position through the 1947 season. Crisler retired as head coach after the 1947 season to become the school's full-time athletic director. He appointed his former assistant, Bennie Oosterbaan as the new head football coach. In his first year as the head coach of the football team, the 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team won an Associated Press national championship.
Defining an Identity (1959-1994)
After Oosterbaan's departure, Chalmers (Bump) Elliott was promoted to the head coaching position. This change ushered in an era that sank below the standards set by Elliott's predecessors. While Elliott won a Big Ten title in 1964, an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Ohio State in 1968 forced his resignation and the hiring of Bo Schembechler. Schembechler then used that humiliating loss as motivation for the seasons to come.
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Schembechler remained the coach for 21 seasons, winning 13 Big Ten titles, but never summiting the mountain for a national championship. Schembechler forged the identity of Michigan football for decades to come, with his iconic slogans including "Those who stay will be champions," and "The team! The team! The team!" Schembechler is the program's all-time leader in wins (194) and games coached (247).
After Schembechler, Gary Moeller took over for five years and continued the success that Schembechler built. He won three Big Ten titles in his five seasons before being asked to step down due to a disorderly conduct arrest in 1995.
- Chalmers (Bump) Elliott (1959-1968): 51-42-2
- Glenn (Bo) Schembechler (1969-1989): 194-48-5
- Gary O. Moeller (1990-1994): 44-13-4
Elliott had played halfback for Fritz Crisler's Michigan teams in 1946 and 1947 and won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the conference in 1947. He was Michigan's head coach for ten years from 1959 to 1968. His 1964 team won a Big Ten Conference championship and the 1965 Rose Bowl. Bo Schembechler served as Michigan's head coach for 21 years from 1969 to 1989. Gary Moeller was named Michigan's head coach after Schembechler's retirement.
Modern Era: Struggles and Triumph (1995-Present)
Lloyd Carr was hired after Moeller, and the success continued. In 1997, just his third season at the helm, Carr and the Wolverines won a share of the national title. It was the program's first since 1948. Carr also collected five Big Ten titles in his 13 years with Michigan, the third-most of any coach in program history behind Yost (10) and Schembechler (13). Carr retired in 2008 following a massive bowl upset of Florida. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122-40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles (1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2004). Carr's 1997 team was declared the national champion by the Associated Press.
Following Carr's retirement, the program experienced large struggles under Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke, finding itself reeling in what the Michigan faithful considered mediocrity. In his three seasons as Michigan's head coach, Rodriguez compiled a record of 15-22, including a mark of 6-18 in Big Ten Conference games. Brady Hoke was hired as Michigan's new head football coach in January 2011.
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But the 2015 hire of Jim Harbaugh injected new hope into the fanbase. Harbaugh has been a head coach since 2004. He was previously the head coach of the San Diego Toreros (2004-2006), the Stanford Cardinal (2007-2010), and the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) (2011-2014).
Leaving his post in the NFL, Harbaugh won nine or more games in each of his first five seasons, but just couldn't get over the hump that was Ohio State. Harbaugh was heavily criticized for a lack of success against rivals, and the 2-4 record in the shortened 2020 season had many calling for his job.
But the Wolverines stayed true to Harbaugh, and he rewarded them with three straight Big Ten titles and CFP appearances and a national championship to boot. Following his national title, he returned to the NFL, and Sherrone Moore took his place.
- Lloyd Carr (1995-2007): 122-40
- Rich Rodriguez (2008-2010): 15-22
- Brady Hoke (2011-2014): 31-20
- Jim Harbaugh (2015-2023): 86-25
- Sherrone Moore (2024-present): 9-5
On January 26, 2024, Michigan hired Sherrone Moore as the head coach following Harbaugh's departure to the Los Angeles Chargers. On December 10, 2025, the University of Michigan announced Moore had been fired for cause due to "credible evidence" that Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. On December 26, 2025, Michigan hired Kyle Whittingham as the 22nd head football coach.
Coaching Records and Achievements
Throughout its history, the Michigan football program has seen many coaches achieve significant milestones. Here's a look at some of the key records and achievements:
- Most overall wins: 1. Bo Schembechler (194), 2. Fielding H. Yost (165), 3. Lloyd Carr (122), 4. Jim Harbaugh (86)
- Most Big Ten wins: 1. Bo Schembechler (143), 2. Lloyd Carr (81), 3. Jim Harbaugh (60), 4. Bennie Oosterbaan (44), 5. Fielding H. Yost (42)
- Highest overall winning percentage: 1. William Ward (.900), 2. William McCauley (.875), 3. Gustave Ferbert (.875), 4. Fielding H. Yost (.833)
- Highest Big Ten winning percentage: 1. Bo Schembechler (.855), 2. Fielding H. Yost (.796), 3. Jim Harbaugh (.779), 4. Lloyd Carr (.779)
- Lowest overall winning percentage: 1. Rich Rodriguez (.405), 2. Frank Crawford/Mike Murphy (co-head coaches in 1891) (.444), 3. Bump Elliott (.547), 4. Tad Wieman (.594)
- Lowest Big Ten winning percentage: 1. Rich Rodriguez (.250), 2. Bump Elliott (.485), 3. Tad Wieman (.500), 4. Harry Kipke (.560)
- Big Ten championships: 1. Bo Schembechler (13), 2. Fielding H. Yost (10), 3. Lloyd Carr (5), 4. Harry Kipke (4), 5. Gary Moeller (3), 5. Bennie Oosterbaan (3)
- National championships: 1. Fielding H. Yost (6), 2. Harry Kipke (2), 3. Fritz Crisler (1), 3. Bennie Oosterbaan (1), 3. Lloyd Carr (1)
The Rivalry with Ohio State
Since 1935, when the Michigan-Ohio State game moved to the end of the Big Ten schedule, the success of a season was often measured by the results of The Big Game. The series began in 1897 under rookie coaches Gustave Ferbert and David Edwards. Rookie coaches would meet two more times. In 1929 Michigan's Harry Kipke faced off against Sam Willaman of the Buckeyes. Both had been star players and and served as assistant coaches at their schools. Ferbert won his only game against the Buckeyes. Willaman won his first game, but would wind up with 2-3 record. The 2011 game marked the third time that first year coaches have taken the field for both teams. Brady Hoke defeated OSU interim coach Luke Fickell.
Sixteen Michigan coaches have squared off against the Buckeyes and five emerged with winning records - from Gustave Ferbert's perfect 1-0-0 record (1897) to Fielding Yost's 16-3-1 (1901-1926). Ohio State has sent twenty-two coaches into battle against Michigan - all but one with overall career winning records. against Michigan - ranging from Jim Tressel's 9-1-0 to Woody Hayes' 16-11-1 (1951-1978) and Urban Meyer's perfect 7-0. What is remarkable, is how evenly matched the great ones were. Fielding Yost held a slim 5-3 edge over John W. Wilce. Paul Brown, who went on to fame as a professional coach, was 1-1-1 in his matches against Fritz Crisler.
In 2006, the series' first showdown between #1 and #2 rated teams, OSU held on for 42-39 victory. In what would be Lloyd Carr's final game at Michigan Stadium, the Buckeyes clinched a third straight Big Ten title with a 14-3 win, giving Tressel a 9-1 record against Michigan. The Buckeyes 42-7 win in 2008 was their largest margin of victory since 1968's 36 point advantage. In the final game at the "old Michigan Stadium" in 2009, a big contingent of OSU fans saw the Buckeyes roll to a 21-10 win. The 2010 game opened with a scoreless first quarter and Michigan pulled within three at 10-7 in the second quarter. Jordan Hall returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to set a Buckeye series record. OSU ran off 27 unanswered points to secure a dominating 37-7 win. With the 2010 win, Tressel extended his consecutive win streak to 7 games, three better than Francis Schmidt (1934-1937) and Woody Hayes (1950-1963). Fielding Yost holds the series record for consecutive wins with a nine-year run from 1901-1909.
First year Michigan coach Brady Hoke broke the string of Buckeye victories by defeating interim coach Luke Fickle's Ohio team 40-34. Denard Robinson led the Wolverines to their first win in seven years, accounting for 337 yards total offense and five touchdowns (2 rushing and 3 passing). Meyer moved to 2-0 against Michigan and Brady Hoke in 2013 by holding on for a 42-41 win when the Wolverine's two-point conversion attempt failed with 30 seconds left in the game. An underdog Michigan team played OSU to 14-14 first half tie in the 2014 game. The Buckeyes scored on the first drive of the second half. but Ohio then pulled away for a 42-28 win. The Buckeyes then demolished Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game and went on to win the national title.
Jim Harbaugh brought excitement to his first match up with the Buckeyes but couldn't break Meyer's streak as Ohio State cruised to a 42-13 win. It was #2 Ohio State vs. #3 Michigan in 2016. In the first overtime game in series history, Meyer extended his streak to five games. He joined Fielding Yost as the only coaches to win their first five rivalry games. Meyer continued his winning ways with a 31-20 victory in Ann Arbor in 2017, giving the Buckeyes an undisputed division title, capped by a another conference title with an easy win over Wisconsin. Meyer closed his tenure at OSU with a dominating 62-39 win at Columbus in 2018, making him the first coach with more than one season to go undefeated in the series. In 2019 Ryan Day joined the list of head coaches who won their debut rivalry game, though he had shared in two as an OSU assistant coach, handing UM its 8th straight loss with a 56-27 thrashing.
Jim Harbaugh got his first win in 2021 as the #6 Wolverines dominated in a 41-27 win in Ann Arbor. In 2022 an undisputed division title was on the line in Columbus as #2 OSU and #3 U-M were both undefeated. OSU was a slight favorite and took a 20-17 lead at half-time, holding Michigan to just ten yards rushing. Michigan's scores came on a pair of J.J. McCarthy to Cornelius Johnson TD passes covering 69 and 75 yards. McCarthy scored on a 3-yard run in the third quarter and connected with tight end Colston Loveland for a 45-yard score. Donovan Edwards sealed the game with TD runs of 75 and 85 yards.
Jim Harbaugh was not at the 2023 game at Michigan Stadium (serving out a three-game suspension for a sign stealing violation), but assistant coach Sherrone Moore led the Wolverines to a third straight win. Blake Corum ran for two TDs, Roman Wilson caught a disputed TD pass and James Turner hit three field goals for a 30-24 win. The Wolverine defense held TreVeyon Henderson to 60 yards rushing and limited All-American receiver Marvin Harrison to one TD. The Buckeyes would go onto win the national championship however.
Sherrone Moore, in his first rivalry game as official head coach, led the 2024 Wolverines to one of the biggest upsets in series history. The Buckeyes came into the game with a 10-1 record and a #2 national ranking. The unranked Wolverines had struggled to a 7-5 record and were 23-point underdogs. OSU scored on a 29-yard field goal on its first possession. In the 2nd quarter UM capitalized on an interception by Aamir Fall on the Buckeye 13-yard line and 11-yard return. Kelel Mullings scored on a 1-yard run. Dominic Zvada added a 54-yard field goal to give UM a 10-3 lead. OSU drove 75 yards with just over 2 minutes remaining to tie the score at the half. That would be the end of the scoring until Zvada's 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds on the clock gave Michigan the win. Michigan's defense held the explosive Ohio offense to just 252 total yards. Ryan Day's rivalry record slipped to 1-4.
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