How Sherrone Moore's coaching journey led to Michigan | Big Ten on NBC Sports

first of all coach I want to say congratulations on the position all of this is yours now you're the head man wild the thing love thanks okay but I kind of want to go on a journey back down memory lane in order to do that I thought I would bring some pictures with me oh wow so the first one we're going to start with look at the goatee tell me about this guy yeah uh just learning that he's somewhat good at football that he loves the game um starting to shave uh trying to grow a go trying to grow a beard at that time but loving life and uh really enjoying the process of a football what I thought was interesting about you is you really wanted to be Charles Barkley for a long so basketball was your sport I was a I was a basketball fan growing up uh watched MJ ironically watched Charles Barkley watched Shaq big sha lover right but I knew I wasn't 7 foot and uh I was obsessed with getting in the paint getting rebounds learned early that there r a lot of six4 basketball players in the NBA and uh you know figured out that football was going to end up be my sport after I got fouled out of a couple games in high school so so when would you say you fell in love with the sport of football probably senior end of senior year really fell in love with the game and then probably Junior College because you don't have as much and you're really learning what to do with less uh really love the the process of getting better of working out building a team being a part of a team and then the winning traditions we had there at Butler that's probably when I really fell in love with the game okay you ready for the next one yeah oh that's about 320 I the first thing I was going to say we half of him yeah oh yeah is still here yeah he's still there would tell me about this guy though um probably amazed at the opportunity that he had to go to such a prestigious school and play with great players and be around a great coach like Bob Stoops and loving the process of life as well and uh you know probably a lot of thought process of you know that time my dad was in Iraq and um you know only child so I was thinking about my mom and uh making sure that she was okay but uh excited you know to to be at Oklahoma M I read a lot about that process that even sometimes your dad was living maybe in La you guys moved to Kansas to get a little bit closer to him and what family meant during that time of adolescence for you yeah so my my parents were both from Trinidad and Tobago and my dad came over to be a music and got recruited to be in the Air Force so ended up in the air force and then you know we moved I was born in Texas lived Texas Panama California England New Jersey uh then Kansas well when I was in New Jersey my dad was actually in California so we'd spend time most of our time like six years of my life I lived away from them and uh we moved together uh in Kansas together to be to be closer and to be together so um family always means everything to me especially my mom and dad with all of those stops I have to think that that's taught you how to adapt in in some ways how has that made you kind of the person you are the coach you are today too it's helped me just read people a little bit better and get to know kids from every different background I feel like I can adjust with all different types of kids and all different types of people and get to know them and uh kind of understand their story a little bit more yeah okay your story is continuing you ready uhhuh try get the right one okay this one I like this one oh yeah where were we in the coaching Journey here thought it was BL days apparently with the glasses um I was a ga at the University of Louisville at that time and uh just figuring out that I loved the game even more and I loved helping players um that I wanted to be a coach that I wanted to be a great coach and and be the best coach I could be so this is where you fell in love with coaching then uh I was very curious to some of the people that had maybe poured into you a lot early in the journey who were those coaches for you um you know number one was probably my high school coach Tom young okay um he's a Hall of Fame Co coach in Kansas number two was Troy moral he was the head coach at Butler for me um and then Bob Bob was huge for me I still talk to Bob on a regular basis I actually we just here on Saturday watched him Coach a UFL game and heard him talking just brought back memories of of watching him and uh you know then the next would probably be Charlie Strong um he's a guy that gave me my first opportunity to be a full-time coach so he was huge in the process and then you know obviously coach our ball um somebody's like a brother to me and um I talk to on the regular so this brings up the last picture then cuz I also just kind of loved yeah oh man that's what do you think when you see this picture we just won The Natty uh I remember like yesterday we just won to Natty I picked him up and he just I heard him go a and then uh right after that me him and Jesse big hug it was just all the Triumph all the things we went through last year to to get that moment uh it was super cool I hear a lot of stories about the first meeting with har the first interview essentially take me through that first day because that's a pivotal point in your coaching career just getting the job so describe that process so um I'm at Central Michigan um I get the call from Danny no that asked if I'm interested in the tight end job here uh I say absolutely so I'm at the convention and I leave the convention I come back the next day the convention I leave the vention on National Championship day I come back I drive here from Mount Pleasant Michigan which is about 2 hours North and uh I'm just just at the big house I'm not even I'm two hours early for the interview I'm at the big house I'm just like wow I remember I called my mom and I said Mom I'm here she's like where I'm like I'm at Michigan she's like what I was like yeah yeah yeah I'm she's like oh yeah for interview I was like and I just sat there in the car for about an hour before the interview and just like this is like real life so I get to Shen Beckler Hall and I go upstairs and I meet coach and it's coach it's Pep Hamilton at the time Tim dranel it's Jack Harbaugh it's Jay Harbaugh it's Don Brown and uh you know one of my mentors in the game Dave borelly told me hey when you interview make sure you show and teach like what you're really about so I said okay so we get about 30 minutes through the interview I talk about my history family all that and then uh I take off my my jacket and my coat and I go to work individual drills on a chair and if you know coach harball he loves football so I get up and he's like yeah yeah show me show me like show it on me and then he's like no and he grabs a ga he makes me do drills on the ga and like by halfway through the interview I'm sweating in this in this shirt a blue shirt and uh I'm just going to work and he's just loving it he's he's spitting chewing and like the interviews like four hours long and then he's like hey will you spend the night and I was like coach I don't have any clothes he said no it's fine hey uh uh Gary let's let's he calls Gary he gets me a bag of clothes so he gets me a sweatsuit and stuff and then takes me out there I go out to dinner the next night and I I go in the hotel I was like well I either got the job or I got a lot of nice Michigan clothes so win win yeah great so next day brings me back and I put on the same suit with no tie and he tells I have the job so uh pretty awesome and that kind of changes the trajectory of your entire career from there so a over the last what Seven Seasons what do you feel like you've been learning here in an arbor under Jim Harbaugh yeah I've challenge myself challenge other people um just because you've done it before doesn't mean it's always the way to do it uh change is good change is vibrant you need it and uh you know make people better make yourself better so I've learned to really change in different ways that I've never would have thought of and really challenge people and I think that's what he brought the best out on everybody uh CU I think a lot of times in life you try to be status quo and try to live at this straight line when there's ups and downs and things you you need to do he always called it healthy scrimmaging uh what people call it arguments he called it scrimmaging and uh it's I think that is something that's really brought the best out in me and and us as a program I'm going tell my husband that yeah he scage it's just a scage um well you had to do some unique things uh as an acting head coach and I want to take you back to 90 minutes before the Pinn State game you find out for the first time even though you knew it was possible that you were officially going to be the acting head coach at that game take me back through what's going through your mind and just the moment that you find out something like that is happening yeah I'm standing in the endzone opposite Penn State's locker room and uh always wore all black before game with my Michigan vers everybody's shirt underneath I'm listening to Meat mill cold harder part two obviously uh and uh R ad tapped me on my shoulder says hey you got us today go lead us to Victory and at the second I was just like what what did you just say and uh he's like just go lead you got us we believe in you and I said all right bet cool got it let's go but I just looked at the Players I looked at all the players I remember watching Blake km and Mikey and Cornelius and Roman and the linan I was just like okay we got this and at that moment it was kind of a calm ease as I'm walking into the locker room and hit me again it's like you're going to be the head coach today like make sure you don't mess this up uh but it was awesome just the players how they how they reacted how they you know how they played um told the story of our culture and who we are mhm and you had the audacity that's what we're going to call it now to call 32 straight run plays everyone will continue to bring that up but while it's happening what's the reason behind it you know what people ask like did you on doing that no I didn't it was we went through the first quarter the ball wasn't moving the way we thought it should it wasn't going the way we did we went to the second quarter and I viably remember um we had a package with seven offensive linemen that came in the game and it was just like the line of scrimmage just kept moving and moving and moving I was just like and I could feel the air coming out of the crowd a little bit and I said this is my how we might have to win the game and uh second quarter we threw the ball a little bit more and then the third quarter came and the B the the old Lions looked at me and they're like it's going to be one of those games huh I was like I think so and we just proceeded to run the ball every you know 32 times I didn't even I threw one pass it was a play action pass but it was incomplete it was a pass interference so counting it uh yeah but you know that that game came and I didn't even realize it happened until afterwards I was like you know you called 32 straight runs I was like not really but did we win that's all that matters so uh and this all happened I mean it's 111,000 fans millions of people are watching also on TV what did you learn about yourself in that moment uh the moment's not too big that that I could do it that um I got a great group of people around me players and coaches and staff and that was the coolest thing is just the support that was for you know not only for me but for the players and to watch the Players react to me being in that situation and the coaches react and it was just like let's do it whoever's leading the helm we're going to go we're going to do whatever we can for Michigan mhm we saw the emotions that you had after the game I mean where was that coming from yeah it came from you know learning that you going be the head coach 90 minutes before the game everything that the players have been through all year um and really just the hard work that was put in to know that you know we had a goal that we set in January of putting another banner up there and uh I remember in Spring ball we talk about I mean it's been since 1997 that that Banner has been put up so just to know that that dream was still alive was was was super fun how was preparation or going into the Ohio State game a little bit different because obviously you have time to know and prepare yeah that you're going to be the head man but that game is so different and unique yeah you know that game were we prepare for 365 so it's something that we're always preparing for it was just that now you had to prepare to make the decisions uh go for it not go for it kick a field goal time out so I think from that perspective that was the biggest piece for me uh from a play call stand point the game plan has been set and we kind of make adjustments but we really you know for me it was all right when I you know what how am I going to call this game is it going to be aggressive is it going to not be aggressive and uh we called it pretty aggressive in that game and and came out for the good guys right so flash me forward to you win a National Championship and it's just uncertainty we don't know if Jim's comeing staying going when do you find out that he has taken a job in the NFL with the Chargers yeah so I'm I think I was in Houston so I talked to him a couple times before and I knew he was there and he said yeah it might happen we don't know when I don't know and I'm going through baggage like to take my through TSA and I look at my phone and it said Jim harwal to the charger so I get a call from Doug our chief of staff ad and uh he says hey you need to get another plane back here like ASAP and I was like oh okay so that's when I found out and came came and interviewed the next day mhm describe that I mean it was basically a 48 hour period that you go from like acting head coach in four games to the head coach yeah at the University of Michigan yeah uh very humbling I just I mean I'm I'm extremely blessed for this opportunity but it was wild uh not a lot of sleep just a lot of preparation for that moment and trying to figure out make sure all the questions would be answered and uh let them understand that they'd be in good hands if they gave me the opportunity yeah what was what's the pitch or the promise that you make to Ward Manuel when you're in an interview like that yeah that I'm going to give everything I got for Michigan for this play for the players for the program for the alumni alumni to make sure that we're successful and we continue the tradition and the trajectory that we're on so when you get to find out that you have the job do you call Mom are you sitting back and are you at the you know what I mean like I want I want to feel that moment from your perspective I sat there for a little bit and said a prayer um but yeah mom got the call right away uh family got the call right away and uh just very humbled and my mom started crying uh my dad started crying my grandma called my grandma uh she started you know just the whole family just super excited my daughter told me congratulations and then she said I'm the boss now uh my four-year-old so that was pretty that was humbling but it was truthful I kind of already know that she is a boss so um but it was a great moment and just super excited yeah and then I guess the next step is really having a conversation with your team what do you tell them in that first meeting as you're taking over the the crazy thing is like I didn't have a team meeting with the players until I got back off the road from recruiting and it was just the same message that I've always given them that I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that they're successful that we're successful that we continue to win on and off the field and stop at nothing to do do it and uh I always got their back and I love them I'm going to coach them hard and love them harder that's always been my philosophy in coaching and going continue to do that but was it like knowing that they backed you 100% to get the job that's got to be a humbling thought it was I mean I could it's unexplainable you know I heard from every outlet from the players from other coaches from Ward from alumni that like if you don't get it we're we're not we're going to leave we're going to do this like first of all guys so just calm down like but so it was it was a it's an awesome feeling to know that you have their support mhm and you said several times like listen I'm not Jim Harbaugh I'm not coach yeah I'm Chiron I'm this coach so where do the differences lie how does the program look or or is it going to feel different moving me ER I mean from the style of play and how we play and what we do on the field and the product that we put out we're going to be the same uh the same tough physical mentality that we have on all three phases we're going to do uh but I were I wear Jay's more um I like music so those different things those different flavors the Aesthetics of things in the building are a little different but from the core principles of how we operate will be the same what kind of music all types uh I mean sometimes it's R&B sometimes it's hip-hop sometimes it's like EDM like you're in a club it just depends and sometimes it's Jazz okay so we won't be shocked to hear it at practice at some point everything will everything will go on and try to keep the boys alive and keep them entertainment so mhm what was the the hardest part about assembling a staff because I think that that's the next big piece of like taking over your program what is that like yeah I think the hardest part was you know keeping all the guys you wanted to try to keep and and then finding the right fits of of guys that will fit the program and fit the profile of the type of Coach we need here and uh I think we've done that I think we've done that at a high level and you know that's that was probably the hardest part for me is assembling staff especially the first time it's not hard in getting candidates here because people want to be at Michigan but it's just making sure you get the right fits are you still going to play call uh we'll see okay TBD TVD um what do you think the Chiron that was wearing the butler uniform in Community College would say about the man that sits before me today oh that's a good question um that you accomplished goals that you never thought you would but you worked hard and and did it the right way so uh and and they continue to push continue to continue to strain uh I always told myself to strain when I was playing and uh continue to do that now and the last thing I have we looked at your LinkedIn and saw that it still says you know assistant at the University of Michigan are we going to update it are we going to change it or you probably don't need it anymore listen I mean I don't know I haven't been on LinkedIn in a long time and I think the last time I did it I did it maybe two years ago uh yeah I don't know if I'll get back on LinkedIn or not we'll see and did you ever imagine that this was going to be the role like was this the goal no never someone I was talking to a player the other day and they asked me like what was your goal like coaching and I was like honestly it was just to be the best coach I could be and when I first came here there was this was the last thing on my mind it's like yeah I'm going to be the head coach at Michigan one day like that was the last thing in my mind so no it was never the goal but I am so so so glad that I'm here now MH all right so you went a national championship for the first time in 26 years but you know your quarterback's leaving guys like Roman Junior I mean Blake yeah how are you going to replace some of that leadership and really productivity that you lose from your team a season ago yeah the leadership part it's really cool because we built this culture this Brotherhood that I think guys understand what it takes to be a leader uh I think it really started with Aiden Hutcherson and James Ross um what they did here uh Andrew vastardis Hassan H Haskin that group really set the precedent of what a a leader at Michigan is supposed to be and then all these guys have just followed suit and the Blake horms the miky the trevors the zeners the Mike barretts Chris Jenkins the captain's readed last year you know it was cool like last year we we said we know who the captains are going to be but we know who the leaders are and we had leaders in each room so we've continued to have great leadership with the guys we have now and uh it's really cool to just watch these guys take take this into fruition and and go attack it now so it's really cool and then as far as uh production you know every Year's a new year so we know that we're going to have to replace guys but we got a lot of great players here and excited to watch them flourish do you think you get this job if you don't be Ohio State last year oo that's a good question probably not but um I'm glad we did you don't have to think about it think about that one and last but not least do you own any khakis what is our game day attire going to look like like you thought about this I'm not a I'm not a khaki person uh Lululemon uh I do have those I usually rock Lululemon joggers when it gets cold I'll rock a vest uh with a titer shirt underneath it but haven't thought about the top yet for the game day but that'll have to come into consideration in the summer time you got to figure it out cuz you know like spur or the visor Jim the khakis Chiron the yeah right now people would probably say the best that I have okay um and that'll be the puffy best but when it's warm RS I got to figure out out to look you got to think of something we got to we're always concerned about I know