Amidst the heightening criticism he is garnering, Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel made another statement that moved the fans. Warde Manuel had a tough job to find a candidate who could step in to fill the big shoes of Jim Harbaugh. Among all the prospective ones, former offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore was the most likely one to land the job of Michigan head coach.

Along with Moore, Michigan defensive coach Jesse Minter was also a top candidate on Michigan’s radar. However, as soon as rumors of Minter joining Jim Harbaugh at Chargers emerged, he became a less tempting candidate. The head coaches of other NFL teams were already an option. However Sherrone Moore had one major advantage above them all to be selected as the Michigan head coach.

Warde Manuel announces Moore as the next Michigan head coach

Per the latest statement by Manuel, Sherrone Moore has officially replaced former head coach Jim Harbaugh. Manuel reports him stepping up as a successful head coach when Jim Harbaugh was suspended to be the reason for his selection. “We didn’t plan on Sherrone having a four game audition. But that’s exactly what transpired. He aced the audition and got the role,” commented Manuel.

While already having a head coaching experience with Michigan did give him the brownie points, there was another major reason behind him landing the job. Hi familiarity with the ongoing NCAA sign-stealing investigation. The ultimate punishment for the fiasco is yet awaited. However, Moore is expected to be known to all the inside details about the farce.

With all this, Moore impressed everyone by handling Michigan’s team in their final three games, especially when the sign-stealing farce and the criticism and allegations stemming from it were at their peak. Moore sailed the team through the darkest days and emerged successfully without any losses. Hence, him landing a good contract with Michigan.

Sherrone Morre’s contract with Michigan

While Moore’s contract might not be as lucrative as the one Manuel offered Jim Harbaugh, it still is a valuable contract looking at the college football landscape. Moore is currently on a five-year contract with a fixed annual salary of $6 million per year, plus all the incentives.

READ ALSO: NCAA Brutally Roasted After Forcing Jim Harbaugh Out of Michigan to Join LA Chargers

Hence, if Moore can lead the team to the playoffs in first go, then he could earn up to $3.5 million. After the huge stepup, Moore is expected to excel former coach Jim Harbaugh which would be a next-to-impossible job as Harbaugh left his legacy with a perfect season, without any loss and a National Championship. Only time will tell how much of it could Moore replicate.

Watch this story: Coach Jim Harbaugh Sets The Record Straight On Michigan’s Sign-Stealing Incident