Biff Poggi is not holding back in his candid evaluation of Michigan’s football program as he campaigns to become the Wolverines’ next head coach.

Following the dismissal of Sherrone Moore, Poggi has stepped in to guide the team through their forthcoming bowl match against Texas, scheduled for New Year’s Eve. Speaking to reporters on Monday, he offered a straightforward critique of the team’s current state.

“For the past five years, we’ve essentially been dealing with a dysfunctional organization with recurring issues,” Poggi stated. “The athletic director has clearly expressed a desire to put an end to this cycle. Should I be appointed as head coach — which is still uncertain — you can expect a thorough internal review and significant changes within the program.”

The Michigan administration is broadening its investigation to scrutinize the entire athletic department and its prevailing culture.

The inquiry is being handled by the Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block.

Despite the program winning a national title in 2023, Michigan has been plagued by scandals in recent years, ranging from allegations that former co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss had illegally accessed private student information to recruiting violations under former head coach Jim Harbaugh. 

The Conor Stalions sign-stealing scandal dominated the headlines during the 2023 season. 

“To me, and I think a lot of our coaches, it kind of stopped being fun,” Poggi said. “It’s been a long time. It was just not a comfortable [situation].”

Here’s the latest on former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore

Poggi also said he felt like the players had started to have fun again since the most recent scandal broke. Moore was fired with cause earlier this month after the university said he had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. He was later arrested for breaking into the home of a female football staffer and threatening suicide.

Poggi has held the role of head coach previously at Charlotte during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, where he went 6-16 during that span. 

Michigan athletic administrators have had discussions with Poggi about taking the head coaching role full time and it’s one that he’s expressed a desire to do. 

“I know what the hell I’m doing. I have a long 10-year history of knowledge of this place,” Poggi said when asked why he thinks Michigan should hire him. “This place is really important to me. … This place is magical. And the program means a lot to me. And it’s one of the things I want to fix before I go smoke myself to death with cigars. It’s one of the things I want to fix. I want to fix this program.”