Getting their head coach fired was not in the Michigan Wolverines’ 2025 syllabus. But here they are, staring down an unfamiliar highway and needing a new driver to grab the wheel. One name buzzing for the gig is Alabama Crimson Tide’s Kalen DeBoer. But Michigan booster Dave Portnoy isn’t buying it. His confidence lies not in DeBoer, but in a Super Bowl–winning coach.

“I don’t want to say I don’t want Deboer in case he gets the job, but I don’t want Deboer,” Michigan fan and Barstool Sports’ founder, Portnoy, did not mince his words. “Let’s just stop f****** around and give it to Gruden and go win a Natty.”

Michigan fired Moore with cause on Wednesday, December 10, after an internal probe found he had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Given Portnoy’s strong involvement in the program, he got vocal about the Wolverines’ situation. 

Moore and his staff struggled to compete in the name, image, and likeness game like other programs. Meanwhile, Portnoy, wearing his love for all things maize and blue on his sleeve, is no secret. Back in September 2024, the Michigan alum pledged $3 million a year to lure a top quarterback to Ann Arbor.

Portnoy revealed that he and Meyer had a $1,000 wager on this season’s Michigan-Ohio State clash, with the winner handing over the cash to the other team’s NIL fund. Given his financial support, the school might at least lean in and listen.

“This is my short list. Gruden Saban Lanning Jeff Monkin Clark Lea Kenny Dillingham Deion,” dropped Portnoy right after Moore was shown the exit gate. 

At the same time, Kalshi came up with its list of Moore’s replacements. Do the two lists have anyone in common? Yes, only Kenny Dillingham. According to Kalshi, Washington Huskies’ Jedd Fisch emerges as the top favorite with a 25% chance to replace Moore.

He is followed by DeBoer at 23%, Brian Daboll at 11%, Lincoln Riley at 10% and Dillingham at 9%. But what makes Portnoy root so hard for Gruden to take up Moore’s throne?

Gruden stepped down as Las Vegas Raiders head coach in October 2021 after emails he’d written over a decade surfaced containing racist, misogynistic, and anti-gay language. He signed off with a strong resume, posting a total 117-112 NFL record, including winning Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Portnoy’s favorite pick as Moore’s replacement made multiple head coaching stops at the NFL, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers, among others. But coaching at Michigan has been Gruden’s dream since 1984.

As he voiced his pick for Moore’s replacement, Portnoy shared a blast from the past. An old 1984 Gruden media guide bio stating, “After graduation, he would like to become the head coach at the University of Michigan.”

But how is DeBoer’s name doing rounds in Michigan?

Kalen DeBoer in the mix to fill into Sherrone Moore’s shoes

ESPN Baton Rouge’s Matt Moscona is keeping the college football fans on the edge with his reporting.

“I got a call Saturday that Sherrone Moore was going to be fired for cause due to an inappropriate relationship,” wrote the analyst. “The person also mentioned Michigan would target Kalen DeBoer as Moore’s replacement.”

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Before taking the Alabama job, DeBoer watched his Washington Huskies lose to Michigan in the 2024 championship, and his Crimson Tide also fell to the Wolverines in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl. So, “TTUN” must look like a familiar territory.

As two of the sport’s biggest revenue generators, Michigan and Alabama dominate off the field. But DeBoer’s Midwestern roots could give him a recruiting jump-start. Who are the rest who are running the race to pick up the crown that Moore just dropped?

LSU Tigers’ recently dismissed Brian Kelly is on Michigan’s radar. Thanks to the Bryce Underwood connection. The quarterback initially had committed to LSU before Moore stole him. Duke Blue Devils’ Manny Diaz, with an ACC title and a 38-24 record across Duke and Miami, also emerges as a compelling candidate.

With Sherrone Moore out, Michigan is on high alert during the coaching search. Dakota Guerrant, the state’s No. 1 recruit, got his first offer from the Wolverines back in June 2023. Now, the Oregon Ducks are turning up the heat. Will the lack of a head coach tip the scales?