Interim coach Biff Poggi won't be back at Michigan

Michigan interim coach Biff Poggi said after the team's Citrus Bowl loss to Texas on Wednesday that he will not be back with the Wolverines.

Poggi was been running the program since the firing of Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10. Moore was ousted for allegedly having an improper relationship with a football staffer.

Poggi, 66, confirmed he was a candidate to get the full-time gig during the search process, but days later Michigan hired long-time Utah head man Kyle Whittingham.

The Wolverines lost 41-27 to the Longhorns to end a 9-4 season.

Poggi is highly optimistic over the possibilities for Michigan's 2026 team.

"This isn't a rebuild at all," Poggi said. "That would shortchange the kids, and Coach Whittingham is going to do an amazing job."

During the television broadcast, Whittingham said his coaching staff is nearly filled up for next season.

"We're just about finished," Whittingham said. "It hasn't been announced officially yet. Until somebody's on the dotted line, you never want to get ahead of yourself, but I think we're in good shape. I think we'll have probably about 90% of the staff named this weekend. Then we'll finish off the next one or two over the course of next week."

Poggi served as interim coach for three games this season. He also guided Michigan to a 63-3 win over Central Michigan and a 30-27 victory at Nebraska in September while Moore was serving a two-game suspension for his role in the 2023 sign-stealing scandal.

Poggi just completed his third stint with the Wolverines. He returned to Ann Arbor for this season after being fired as Charlotte's coach after a two-year run.

Poggi was an analyst on the 2016 Michigan staff and was associate head coach in 2021-22 when Jim Harbaugh was the Wolverines' head coach.

--Field Level Media