Former Michigan football head coach Gary Moeller passes away

Gary Moeller was the head coach when I fell in love with Michigan football and he passed away on Sunday at the age of 81. 

Gary Moeller coached during a great era of Michigan football as he led the Wolverines to multiple Big Ten championships and back-to-back Rose Bowl games with a win over Washington after the 1992 season.

Michigan was actually unbeaten that season but was tied three times on its way to a 9-0-3 mark and a top-five finish in the AP Poll. He also coached Desmond Howard and posted a 44-13-3 record for the Wolverines in five years as head coach and was Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1992. He also later coached the Detroit Lions in the NFL.

Here’s more on the career of Moeller from the Wolverine:

"“Moeller, a three-year letter winner at Ohio State, was a co-captain at OSU his senior year. The former linebacker played for Woody Hayes in the early 1960s, started his coaching career in high school before joining Schembechler’s staff at Miami (Ohio) in 1967. He went to Michigan with Schembechler before accepting the head coaching job at Illinois from 1977 to ’79, rejoining the U-M staff after being let go by the Illini. Moeller was a Michigan assistant again from 1980 to ’89, serving in several roles including defensive and offensive coordinator. He took over for Schembechler as head coach in 1990 after Schembechler announced his retirement and won Big Ten titles in his first three seasons, sharing it in 1990.”"

Moeller’s tenure as the head coach, which ended due to an off-field issue, featured numerous wins over Ohio State. The Wolverines went 3-1-1 during his tenure.

Tyrone Wheatley was another notable player from the Moeller era and he was the MVP of the 1993 Rose Bowl won by the Wolverines.

Lloyd Carr took over for Moeller and continued the success. But his Rose Bowl victories (Michigan football has won just one Rose Bowl since) cemented his place as one of the better coaches in the history of the program as well as his .758 winning percentage.

Our thoughts are with the family and here’s a final thank you, coach Moeller.

Forever, Go Blue.