The Wolverine

September 2022

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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SEPTEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 19 was best for us. It wasn't just about him elevating his career. "That was an era of football where coaches were not making $10 million a year. They were in it at a time when col- lege football coaches were making very little money. You just got a sense these guys genuinely cared about seeing their players get better, not only on the field but off the football field and that they develop into productive individuals. " T h a t wa s a lways o bv i o u s w i t h Coach Mo." Just ask All-America center Steve Everitt, who experienced just how deeply Moeller cared about his players away from the field. "Years after we left Ann Arbor, Steve's daughter was born," Skene noted. "He said, 'I've never seen Coach Moeller more excited about anything in my en- tire time playing football at Michigan. He was just so excited about the fact that I'd had a daughter, and how she was doing. He just loved that so much. It was genuine and sincere, his excitement for me and our family.' "Those are the kinds of stories you're hearing, and I've had the same kinds of experiences myself. The guy loved his players." Moeller numbered among the assis- tants who moved north with Schem- bechler's staff from Miami (Ohio) to Michigan in 1969. The Wolverines beat Ohio State that year in the iconic 24-12 showdown at Michigan Stadium, and The Ten-Year War began. Moeller proved an able foot soldier in that war, coaching U-M defensive ends for three years before taking over as de- fensive coordinator in 1973. He coordinated the 1985 Michigan defense, which surrendered a mere 8.2 points per game. That team, led at quar- terback by Jim Harbaugh, finished No. 2 in the nation after beating the Buckeyes (27-17) and Nebraska (27-23) in the Fiesta Bowl to end the season. As good as his defenses were, his of- fensive ideas changed Michigan, Skene pointed out. "The thing that really blew us away when Coach Moeller took over was the change in the offense," Skene said. "We went from a power, gap, man-on-man, double-team the backside linebacker, play-action offense, to zone blocking, high tempo, no huddle, the entire offense being called at the line of scrimmage. "We were going to put defenses on their heels. We had to get in the great- est shape of our entire lives — all of us, including the big, fat linemen. We were going to be running people off the field, and we thought he was crazy." They soon discovered he wasn't. Morris learned about Moeller's moti- vational skills during preparation for his final game in a Michigan uniform. The '87 Wolverines were preparing to take on Alabama in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Tampa. Heart issues sidelined Schem- bechler, with Moeller taking charge. "To me, it was messed up," Morris said. "I mean, you're going to play your last game without Bo Schembechler? Re- ally? "Mo saw me moping around, and he knew — no matter how good we were, or how bad we were — he understood. 'You're the heart and soul of this team. They follow you. If you're down, that team's going to be down.' "Let's just say, he called me out in public, amongst our team. He told me, 'If you don't get it going, they're not go- ing to get it going, and if they can't get it going, what are we going to Tampa for? Either you need to pick it up or get out!' "The next play, I had an 80-yard run for a touchdown against our defense. It was picked up." Michigan won that game 28-24, with Moeller insisting the Wolverines were going to win it for Bo. Years later, after Moeller earned three Big Ten champion- ships in three years as head coach and later lost his job due to a highly publi- cized incident in a Detroit restaurant, Schembechler returned the favor. "Bo would have Mo come to games — made him come to games," Morris noted, his voice cracking. "Mo did not want to come to games, but Bo made him and his wife, Ann, come to games. "Bo stood up in his box at Michigan Stadium, and he looked at Mo, grabbed him and hugged him. And he said, 'Look at what we built here.' He and Mo were so proud of what they assembled." Their players won't soon forget. ❏ Jim Harbaugh Recalls An Offbeat Moeller Proclamation Michigan head coach Jim Har- baugh always thought the saying "We're in a pear tree" originated on the Michigan staff with his father, U-M assistant coach Jack Harbaugh. In the wake of Gary Moeller's pass- ing, the younger Harbaugh discov- ered that wasn't the case. "My dad would always say: 'We're in a pear tree now. We're in a pear tree,'" Harbaugh said. "You knew that was a good thing. We were in a good spot, because we're in a pear tree. "I don't know why being in a pear tree was a good spot. Maybe it was a partridge in a pear tree from the song." Jack Harbaugh had heard it from Moeller and passed it on to Michi- gan's present head coach, who ex- pressed his deep condolences over this loss. "Coach Moeller is just one of the all-time great ones," Harbaugh said. "Great coach, great man." — John Borton Gary Moeller's Coaching Life • 1964-67 — Bellefontaine (Ohio) High School • 1967-68 — Miami (Ohio) (assistant) • 1969-72 — Michigan (defensive ends) • 1973-76 — Michigan (defensive coordinator) • 1977-79 — Illinois (head coach) • 1980-81 — Michigan (quarterbacks) • 1982-86 — Michigan (defensive coordinator) • 1987-89 — Michigan (offensive coordinator) • 1990-94 — Michigan (head coach) • 1995-96 — Cincinnati Bengals (tight ends) • 1997-2000 — Detroit Lions (linebackers) • 2000 — Detroit Lions (head coach) • 2001 — Jacksonville Jaguars (defensive coordinator) • 2002-03 — Chicago Bears (linebackers)

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