Will he stay or will he go? That’s the question the football world is asking about Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh following his national championship.

His Wolverines climaxed a 15-0 season with a convincing 34-13 win over Washington Jan. 8.

While Harbaugh took the bows in Houston, it might not have been without his offensive coordinator/former interim head Coach Sherrone Moore.

On an interim basis, while Harbaugh was suspended and not on the sidelines, Moore guided Michigan to critical wins over Penn State (24-15), Maryland (31-24) and Ohio State (30-24).

Harbaugh was not allowed to participate due to hard evidence his staff had used video equipment to spy on upcoming opponents and steal signals.

A slip-up in any of those key Big 10 contests would have greatly reduced the Wolverines’ chances of their first national crown since 1997.

Moore’s successful “pinch hitting for his boss” in troubled times led Harbaugh to call him a “Michigan legend.”

After the game at Penn State, Moore became teary eyed in a post-game interview with ESPN.

“We did it for you (meaning Harbaugh),” he told the reporter. “We did it for the team, for the president, for the athletic director …this is the best place in the country.”

The victory over Ohio State, in Ann Arbor, clinched the Big 10 East and set the stage for the postseason (win over Iowa for overall Big 10) and then wins over Alabama and Washington in the playoffs, with Harbaugh back on the sidelines.

Moore, a former offensive lineman for the Oklahoma Sooners, has been on the Michigan staff since 2018. He was reluctant to take credit for the team’s success in Harbaugh’s absence

“It wasn’t about my leading,” he said. “It was about the team, this team, this team and that’s it. I don’t want any tags that it was about me because it wasn’t.”

For the grand finale, Moore’s offense was spectacular against the No. 2 Washington Huskies, piling up 443 totals yards, including a playoff-record 303 on the ground.

Now that the cheers have faded there are serious discussions about Harbaugh leaving for the NFL. Washington, the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders have vacancies and have shown interest.

Before coming to Michigan, his alma mater, Harbaugh coached the San Francisco 49ers to a 44-19-1 record from 2011 to 2014. That included an appearance in the 2012 Super Bowl where he lost to Baltimore, coached by his brother, John.

Harbaugh’s current salary at Michigan is listed at $7.34 million and school officials are sure to sweeten the pot if he stays.

But if he goes, one of college football’s most prestigious jobs will open and Moore would seem to be next in line.

Of the 14 Big 10 schools, only three have Black coaches. They are Ryan Walters at Purdue, James Franklin at Penn State and Maryland’s Mike Locksley.