Replacing a championship coach is always tough, but doing so when that coach leaves behind a complicated legacy is even trickier. This challenge intensifies when the previous coach exits amid NCAA investigations, much like Jim Harbaugh did last winter.

This is the reality Sherrone Moore faces.

However, the new head coach of Michigan football is familiar with the difficulties ahead, having spent six years on Harbaugh’s staff prior to taking the role.

Watching Moore field inquiries about infractions and public perception just as much as traditional football questions during a press conference showed that he has a lot to manage, especially the lingering effects of his predecessor’s actions.

There’s a saying in coaching that it’s preferable to follow the coach who followed a legend rather than the legend itself. Still, it’s hard to decline an opportunity like Michigan, regardless of the circumstances.

Typically, when taking over from a successful coach, expectations to continue winning championships are high. For Moore, that pressure is palpable. Besides winning, he must also steer the program clear from controversial headlines unrelated to game outcomes.

In essence, Moore must strike a balance between preserving the positive aspects of Harbaugh’s culture, such as player development, strategic flexibility, selflessness, and competitiveness, while ensuring compliance with Division 1 college football regulations.

This also applies to Moore personally; he faced a one-game suspension for the previous season’s opener due to his involvement in Level II recruiting violations during the COVID-related recruiting dead period in 2021. Reports indicate he might be facing another suspension this season for allegedly deleting texts concerning Connor Stalions, despite those messages being retrieved and submitted to the NCAA.

Moore stated on Tuesday that he and the university are fully cooperating with the NCAA’s examination of alleged signal stealing, adding, “I look forward to (the texts) being released. That’s it.”

A former Michigan recruiter informed NCAA investigators that the culture under Harbaugh often involved testing boundaries and occasionally crossing them. Harbaugh, however, has denied any intentional violations of recruiting regulations.

“I do not apologize,” Harbaugh was quoted as saying last week at the Los Angeles Chargers’ facility.

Regarding the questioned culture, Moore remarked that he has no control over others’ opinions of the program. He also mentioned,

“When you’re at the bottom they don’t respect you. When you’re in the middle, they ignore you, when you’re at the top they hate you. So, for us, we’re just going to keep rolling.”

This perspective on being disliked is perhaps old news. Yes, many college football fans have a disdain for Michigan football, and many in the state, whether football fans or not, are irritated by the “leaders and best” mantra that often comes from the university and its affiliates.

In many respects, especially in the local context, Michigan presents an appealing target, a situation the institution has inadvertently encouraged. The “hatred” isn’t solely due to the Wolverines’ championship win last season; Moore is aware of this.

It’s linked to the pretense that sometimes characterized Harbaugh’s presence, as well as perceived inconsistencies in his criticisms of rival teams while failing to maintain order within his own program.

It’s likely that university president Santa Ono and athletic director Warde Manuel do not expect Moore to adopt the same lofty demeanor as his predecessor. They probably care less if Moore, like Harbaugh, becomes an easy target for rival supporters.

What they should focus on is ensuring that Moore adheres to the rules and prevents the NCAA from intervening in Ann Arbor. Of course, minor infractions may occur. If they do, Ono and Manuel could support Moore by encouraging him to report them, similar to what many other institutions do.

Additionally, more transparency from the university would benefit Moore. For instance, it’s now clear that Harbaugh won’t be returning for the opener of the season. He may eventually serve as an honorary captain, but his focus will remain on the Chargers during the Wolverines’ game against Fresno State in late August.

According to a Free Press report, Harbaugh believes that his current team requires his attention more than Michigan does, hence his decision to stay in California. From a coaching perspective, that might be a wise decision since the Chargers are in need of assistance.

In terms of public relations, it is likely an even wiser choice, although Harbaugh reportedly insisted, at least according to Moore, that his decision was purely about football.

Whether it truly was or not, asking Moore to deliver this news during his press conference was unfair to him. The university has an athletic director, a sports communications department, and a president’s office; any of them could have easily issued an official announcement.

While Moore may have had inquiries about it, he wasn’t the one breaking the news. He has a lot on his plate.

The timing for Harbaugh’s return is definitely questionable. Just last week, one NCAA investigation resulted in penalties (linked to recruiting violations), and another recently issued a “notice of allegations” concerning the school’s purported illegal scouting operation.

Arguments can be made regarding both cases, and it’s easy to criticize the NCAA, but it’s clear that this was Harbaugh’s program when those violations occurred. Bringing him back to Michigan Stadium so promptly gave a poor impression. The institution and Harbaugh were both surely aware of this.

Kudos to him for stepping back. Moore has enough complexities to manage.

“He called me yesterday, expressing that he didn’t feel he could abandon his team. True to coach Harbaugh’s style, he prefers to be right in the midst of it all with his players instead of appearing to take a bow,” Moore stated. “He won’t be present for the game, but we’ll have some of our former players there, and Jack and Jackie Harbaugh will substitute for him, which is really exciting.”

Indeed, he’s thrilled. And rightly so. He holds one of the premier positions in college football and a roster that includes potential future pros.

Replacing a championship-winning head coach isn’t straightforward. Cleaning up the aftermath is even more daunting. Winning is the simplest way to start fixing things. But merely winning shouldn’t be the benchmark in Ann Arbor anymore.

Harbaugh was a winner. However, there’s a widespread belief outside the state that his victories came at the expense of adhering to the rules.

Moore, too, is under pressure to win. But he’s also tasked with reshaping how the program is viewed. The season starts in just a few weeks.