Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore’s message about critics: ‘Make them suffocate’

Sherrone Moore has picked up several key lessons in his initial months as Michigan football’s head coach. He’s learned to manage his time better, delegate tasks, and take a break on Memorial Day weekend to relax with his wife and two daughters in their backyard pool and hot tub while watching Moana. (Good news: Moana 2 is set to release in November.)

Among these early lessons, Moore highlighted one in particular on Thursday morning while speaking to hundreds of campers at Wayne State for the National Collegiate Showcase, part of the Sound Mind Sound Body Academy’s summer circuit.

“Everyone will have haters,” Moore began as he walked the Wayne State Fieldhouse court. “Your haters are waiting for you to fail; your job is to make them suffocate.”

This mindset was ingrained in the Wolverines last season as they embraced a “Michigan vs. Everybody” mentality, leading them to their first 15-0 season in program history and their first national championship in over 25 years.

Despite former head coach Jim Harbaugh being suspended for three games twice—first by athletic director Warde Manuel due to unresolved recruiting violations with the NCAA, and then by the Big Ten over allegations of illegal sign stealing by former staffers—the Michigan locker room remained united.

Moore, now in his seventh year in Ann Arbor, has witnessed the culture shift from a 2-4 team in 2020 to a Big Ten championship team in 2021 and eventually to national champions this past January.

He recalled when players prioritized individual goals over the team, noting that only when everyone fully committed and ignored the external noise did they achieve the ultimate success.

“We always emphasized process over prize last year,” Moore said. “We saw in our indoor practice facility a sign that read ‘1997, national champions’—the last time we won. We got fed up with people constantly talking about that championship team.

“So, we decided to tackle that challenge head-on every single day. We competed with the best in what we consider the best conference in the country.”

Moore was among dozens of Division I football coaches present in Detroit for Thursday’s showcase, which included Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith, Minnesota’s PJ Fleck, Kansas’ Lance Leipold, and many others, just before the official visit season for high school recruits begins this weekend.

This is the time of year when the next generation of athletes is discovered, and throughout Thursday, Moore repeatedly emphasized that his staff is seeking players with a particular work ethic.

He needed to ensure that All-Americans like Will Johnson didn’t overexert themselves, and the same went for All-Big Ten lineman and Northwestern transfer Josh Priebe, who recently got a “super sick” gash on his face after a collision with projected first-round NFL pick Mason Graham.

The talent is evident, Moore said, but his main message was about hard work. At U-M, they look for three qualities in potential athletes: smart, tough, and dependable.

“That’s it,” Moore stated.

Achieving this requires a specific mindset and mentality, Moore explained. You need to prioritize hard work over playing video games and late-night partying.

“Our title was built on a foundation of hard work,” Moore said. “Always put the hard work first. Star ratings and rankings are nice, but they don’t matter once you’re at the university, because everyone starts on equal footing. Remember that.

“Stay humble, avoid complacency, and always prioritize the work.”