Michigan ready to return to business as usual with Harbaugh back on sidelines

When Sherrone Moore got home after coaching the biggest game of his life on Saturday, the scenes were far different in his house than they were at the Big House. While his daughters were excited about the win over Ohio State when they saw their dad at the stadium, it was back to usual once they left.

Following their wishes, Moore spent the next 45 minutes reading to them on a bean bag chair. The TV was off, no highlights of The Game or live coverage of other colossal matchups like the Iron Bowl to be seen. Instead, there were two Mickey Mouse books, a Beauty and the Beast book and Moore acting as a storyteller rather than a play caller.

The scene was business as usual for Moore, a stark contrast to his last three weeks on game days. There, Moore carried out far more than his usual duties as Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh served a three-game suspension from the Big Ten. In that span, the offensive line coach, offensive coordinator and offensive play caller put another massive responsibility on his plate: acting head coach.

Now, with Harbaugh returning from his suspension and set to serve as head coach for the No. 2 Michigan football team’s Big Ten Championship clash with No. 18 Iowa this Saturday, Moore is ready for his coaching life to start resembling his life off the field a little more closely — by returning to business as usual.

“I can’t wait for the opportunity to have (Harbaugh) back on the field,” Moore said Monday. “To have the players see their leader and have the staff see their leader there, it’s just gonna make it even more sweeter.”

As excited as Harbaugh is to be back at the helm on game days — as ready as he is to retake the reins and allow his coaching staff to operate within their usual parameters — he is the first to recognize how well Moore handled everything. Harbaugh quickly deflected when asked about his emotions surrounding his return to head coaching, wanting instead to keep attention on his team and everything it accomplished without him against the Buckeyes.

Moore’s name was atop the massive list of people Harbaugh showered with praise. He went into the final matchup of his acting head coaching tenure committed to calling his most aggressive game, and he followed through on it. In Harbaugh’s absence, Moore wasn’t affected by increased responsibility; instead he used it to elevate his coaching.

“Coach Sherrone Moore called a great game, coached the offensive line and made the decisions as the head coach,” Harbaugh said. “… I have nominated people before, and I nominate Sherrone Moore as a Michigan legend.”

The nomination may not go in any official record books, but it goes a long way in describing the confidence Harbaugh has in Moore. It reflects the confidence Moore had in himself to go 3-0 as acting head coach as well, beating two top-10 teams in the process and securing Michigan’s 1,000th win in program history.

With Harbaugh returning to the sidelines, Moore may be going back to his usual role, but his experience isn’t going anywhere. He now has real head coaching moxie under his belt, further strengthening the Wolverines’ coaching staff. Harbaugh has someone under him who has literally been in his shoes, meaning his offensive staff is stronger than ever.

But that can also lead to too many cooks in the kitchen if they let it. At the end of the day, only one person can mediate with referees, make final decisions and oversee the full operation. Two coaches trying to do that only leads to chaos. Moore knows that, and he has absolutely no issue reverting back to his old role and giving the sidelines back to Harbaugh — the way they were before the suspension.

“I’m gonna let him be him, this is his team,” Moore said of Harbaugh’s return to the sidelines. “I’m just gonna do what I need to do, my job, to help this team. If he asks (for a) suggestion like he normally does then I will, and if he doesn’t then he makes the decision. I think all of that stuff helps but at the end of the day this is Coach Harbaugh’s team and (I’m) just gonna support him and do whatever we need to do to win.”

Going back to the usual routine with Harbaugh looks different for every member of the program. Some offensive linemen shared last week that they don’t really interact with him on game days anyway, meaning things stayed pretty much the same for them. Others, like junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy, deal with him a lot more on Saturdays. At a Big Ten media call on Monday, McCarthy expressed how excited he is to get his tradition of having Harbaugh hit his pads before the game back.

Whatever it is for each person, they’re all accustomed to what’s coming. Michigan’s ninth-year head coach is back under the headset. With their program leader back calling the shots, the Wolverines hope that the rest of their season will look like a fairytale — just like the stories Moore reads to his daughters after a long day coaching.