Report: Former Michigan football head coach Gary Moeller dies
His tenure in Ann Arbor wasn’t long, but it was a memorable one. Former Michigan football head coach Gary Moeller has died at age 82.
Moeller was the head coach of the Wolverines from 1990-94, taking the reins from famed coach Bo Schembechler. Before that, Moeller served as a defensive ends coach, defensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, defensive coordinator (again), and offensive coordinator under Schembechler, with a three-year stint as the Illinois head coach from 1977-79.
Originally having gotten his coaching start working under Schembechler at Miami (OH), Moeller had the rare distinction of having played linebacker at rival Ohio State, where he was a co-captain and a three-year letter winner. After being let go by Michigan, Moeller served as the tight ends coach for two years with the Cincinnati Bengals before spending four years with the Detroit Lions, where he was the linebackers coach before becoming the interim head coach at the tail end of the 2000 season. He became the defensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars the following year and finished his coaching career after a two-year stint as the Chicago Bears linebackers coach the next two seasons.
The news was first reported by Todd Anson and confirmed by The M Zone on WTKA.
We here at the M Zone are sad to report former @UMichFootball and @Lions coach, Gary Moeller, has passed away today. Our condolences to the Moeller family.
— The M Zone on The Ticket (@MZoneWTKA) July 11, 2022
During his time in Ann Arbor, Moeller posted a 44-13-3 record as the head coach, having won the Big Ten three of his five years leading the team. He went 4-1 in bowl games in that time.
His son, Andy Moeller, followed in his footsteps, first by playing for Michigan, and then coaching the Wolverines as a position coach from 2000-07.
