ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan Wolverines interim head coach Biff Poggi opened his press conference on Monday by thanking everyone and wishing them a happy holiday season.
When asked about player opt-outs and recruits leaving the program, Poggi said only three players have opted out to enter the NFL, and no recruits or signees have departed.
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Those three players were Derrick Moore, Jaishawn Barham, and Giovanni El-Hadi.
Poggi credited relationship-building as key to keeping the team together, noting multiple Zoom calls with parents and players.
The self-made millionaire who built significant wealth as a hedge fund manager explained that the program has undergone significant changes in the last 10 days, including shorter meetings and practices that are more uptempo and focused on quality work.
Poogi said the players are enjoying football again and praised the coaches who stayed to support the team.
Regarding Bryce Underwood‘s status for next season, Poggi said he hopes Underwood stays but emphasized the team’s current focus on preparing for Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando on New Year’s Eve at 3 p.m.
Poggi noted that he himself is uncertain about his own future with the team.
Sherrone Moore
Addressing the situation that unfolded 12 days prior with former head coach Sherrone Moore, Poggi said he is not dwelling on it and considers it “dead to me,” focusing instead on moving forward.
“I’m not spending one second thinking about that nonsense,” Poggi said.
When asked if the experience has sparked interest in a permanent head coaching role, Poggi said it has and that he enjoys being close to the players again.
“I’ve enjoyed this. It’s been a great challenge,” Poggi said. “I was working on the kids, but mostly babysitting, other stuff. So, yeah, it’s been very, very nice.”
Poggi previously served as head coach for the Charlotte 49ers at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte during the 2023-2024 seasons.
He was an assistant head coach under Jim Harbaugh, and he is known for transforming high school programs with his unique coaching style.
Head coach of Michigan
Poggi confirmed he is being considered for the position and has had multiple interviews, but remains uncertain about the outcome.
“I’m being considered. I’ve had multiple interviews, multiple conversations.” Poggi added, “Nobody knows what’s going to happen. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I just appreciate being considered, and we’ll see what happens.”
Poggi drew on his experience in hedge fund management to highlight the need for nimbleness and strong leadership in college football coaching today.
“When you’re in business, every day is game day,” Poggi said.
Poggi said college football has changed drastically in the last two years, “a 180-degree change.”
He believes the head coaching job now requires CEO skills to run what are essentially multi-billion-dollar corporations.
“You need somebody that knows how to run them, somebody that knows how to keep them straight, and somebody that does not put the brand of the business in jeopardy,” Poggi said. “To me, it’s got nothing to do with it. You can hire coaches, put it that way.”
If named head coach, Poggi said he would re-evaluate everything in the program, including staff, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and medical support.
When asked what he would want the Michigan football program to look like on and off the field if named head coach, Biff Poggi joked,
“I would first of all, like a Maize & Blue Batman suit to wear to the office every day,” Poggi said.
Poggi then got serious, saying everything in the building needs to be re-evaluated because it is not up to standard.
He said the staff—including coaches, analysts, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and medical teams—needs review, except for David Ablauf, in a joking manner.
Poggi described the program as a “malfunctioning organization” over the past five years, with issues every year.
He noted that athletic director Warde Manuel has made it clear that no more problems will be tolerated.
“If I am named the coach, which again I don’t know if I am, there will be a massive self-examination of what happens in this building, and you can expect a lot of changes,” Poggi said.
Poggi acknowledged the program has had ongoing issues over the past five years and promised a “massive self-examination” and changes if given the role.
He said the team had lost the fun of playing football due to long, inefficient practices and meetings.
Poggi said the recent changes have made practices more enjoyable and productive, with players and coaches having a blast.
He rejected the idea that the program needs to be “blown up,” but emphasized the importance of fresh evaluation and continuous improvement to avoid falling behind.
On the coaching search timeline, Poggi said Manuel hopes to have a decision by the bowl game or shortly after the Christmas holiday.
When questioned about the coaching staff dynamics and how recent issues went unnoticed, Poggi said the staff was shocked when informed and that there is some anger among adults as well.
Poggi summarized why Michigan should hire him: his deep knowledge of the program, personal connection through his family, and commitment to fixing the program before retiring.
When asked why Michigan should hire him, Poggi responded bluntly, “Because I know what the hell I’m doing.”
Poggi highlighted his 10-year history with the university and its importance to him personally.
He shared that one of his sons, Henry, played for Michigan, and that two of his daughters have graduated or are graduating from the school.
“This place has been great to them. One’s a doctor. One’s going to be a doctor,” Poggi said.
Poggi called Michigan “magical” and said the program means a lot to him.
“It’s one of the things I want to fix before I go smoke myself to death with cigars,” Poggi added. “I want to fix this program.”
Offensive staff
Regarding offensive staff changes, Poggi mentioned Chip Lindsey‘s departure and praised Steve Casula, who will call plays for the bowl game.
“Steve is an excellent football guy,” Poggi said. “Everybody’s helping pick up the slack, but I love the gameplan by the way. The gameplan on offense is really special.”
Role with Michigan
Poggi defined his current role as focusing solely on caring for the players, not on winning games or auditioning for the head coach job.
However, Poggi stated he would like to be the long-term head coach at Michigan.
Poggi emphasized honesty and transparency in recruiting conversations with players and families, acknowledging the program’s recent struggles but assuring them the next coach will fix the problems.
He said maintaining contact has been crucial to keeping commitments.
Transfer portal
On the transfer portal, Poggi noted that deals are already happening before the official opening date on Jan. 2, 2026, and that this is true across major programs.
Regarding player opt-outs, Poggi named the three players and said he does not advise players on whether to enter the NFL; instead, he provides evaluations to help them make informed decisions with their families.