The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history.[2] The team is known for its distinctive winged helmet, its fight song, its record-breaking attendance figures at Michigan Stadium,[3] and its many rivalries, particularly its annual, regular-season-ending game against Ohio State, once voted as ESPN's best sports rivalry.[4]
Michigan began competing in intercollegiate football in 1879. The Wolverines joined the Big Ten Conference at its inception in 1896, and other than a hiatus from 1907 to 1916, have been members since. Michigan has won or shared 42 league titles, and, since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936, has finished in the top 10 a total of 38 times. The Wolverines claim 11 national championships, most recently that of the 1997 squad voted atop the final AP Poll.
From 1900 to 1989, Michigan was led by a series of nine head coaches, each of whom has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame either as a player or as a coach. Fielding H. Yost became Michigan's head coach in 1901 and guided his "Point-a-Minute" squads to a streak of 56 games without a defeat, spanning from his arrival until the season finale in 1905, including a victory in the 1902 Rose Bowl, the first college football bowl game ever played. Fritz Crisler brought his winged helmet from Princeton University in 1938 and led the 1947 Wolverines to a national title and Michigan's second Rose Bowl win. Bo Schembechler coached the team for 21 seasons (1969–1989) in which he won 13 Big Ten titles and 194 games, a program record. The first decade of his tenure was underscored by a fierce competition with his former mentor, Woody Hayes, whose Ohio State Buckeyes squared off against Schembechler's Wolverines in a stretch of the Michigan–Ohio State rivalry dubbed the "Ten-Year War".
Following Schembechler's retirement, the program was coached by two of his former assistants, Gary Moeller and then Lloyd Carr, who maintained the program's overall success over the next 18 years. However, the program's fortunes declined under the next two coaches, Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke, who were both fired after relatively short tenures. Following Hoke's dismissal, Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh on December 30, 2014.[5] Harbaugh is a former quarterback of the team, having played for Michigan between 1982 and 1986 under Schembechler.
The Michigan Wolverines have featured 82 players that have garnered consensus selection to the College Football All-America Team. Three Wolverines have won the Heisman Trophy: Tom Harmon in 1940, Desmond Howard in 1991, and Charles Woodson in 1997. Gerald Ford, who later became the 38th President of the United States, started at center and was voted most valuable player by his teammates on the 1934 team.
Contents
1 History
1.1 Early history (1879–1937)
1.2 Fritz Crisler era (1938–1947)
1.3 Bennie Oosterbaan era (1948–1958)
1.4 Bump Elliott era (1959–1968)
1.5 Bo Schembechler era (1969–1989)
1.6 Gary Moeller era (1990–1994)
1.7 Lloyd Carr era (1995–2007)
1.8 Rich Rodriguez era (2008–2010)
1.9 Brady Hoke era (2011–2014)
1.10 Jim Harbaugh era (2015–present)
2 Conference affiliations
3 Bowl games
4 Venues
4.1 Washtenaw County Fairgrounds (1883–1892)
4.2 Regents Field (1893–1905)
4.3 Ferry Field (1906–1926)
4.4 Michigan Stadium (1927–present)
5 Rivalries
5.1 Ohio State
5.2 Michigan State
5.3 Minnesota
5.4 Notre Dame
6 Championships
6.1 National championships
6.2 Conference championships
6.3 Divisional championships
7 Program records and achievements
7.1 Team records
8 Head coaching history
9 Current coaching staff
10 Individual awards and honors
10.1 National award winners
10.1.1 Players
10.1.2 Coaches
10.2 Heisman Trophy voting
10.3 All-Americans
10.4 Team and conference MVP
10.5 Big Ten Conference honors
10.6 Retired numbers
11 Hall of Fame inductees
11.1 College Football Hall of Fame
11.2 Pro Football Hall of Fame
11.3 Rose Bowl
12 Individual program records
12.1 Rushing records
12.2 Passing records
12.3 Receiving records
12.4 Kickoff return records
12.5 Punt return records
13 Alumni currently in the NFL
14 Future non-conference opponents
15 Related books
16 References
17 External links
History
See also: List of Michigan Wolverines football seasons
Early history (1879–1937)
Main article: History of Michigan Wolverines football in the early years
The 1898 Michigan Wolverines, the first Michigan squad to win a conference title.
On May 30, 1879, Michigan played its first intercollegiate football game against Racine College at White Stocking Park in Chicago.[6] The Chicago Tribune called it "the first rugby-football game to be played west of the Alleghenies."[7] Midway through "the first 'inning',"[8] Irving Kane Pond scored the first touchdown for Michigan.[9][10] According to Will Perry's history of Michigan football, the crowd responded to Pond's plays with cheers of "Pond Forever."[7] In 1881, Michigan played against Harvard in Boston. The game that marked the birth of inter-sectional football.[11] On their way to a game in Chicago in 1887, Michigan players stopped in South Bend, Indiana and introduced football to students at the University of Notre Dame. A November 23 contest marked the inception of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program and the beginning of the Michigan–Notre Dame rivalry.[12] In 1894, Michigan defeated Cornell, which was the "first time in collegiate football history that a western school defeated an established power from the east."[13] In 1896, the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives—then commonly known as the Western Conference and later as the Big Ten Conference—was formed by the University of Michigan, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois, the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin, Northwestern University, and Purdue University.[14] The first Western Conference football season was played in 1896, with Michigan going 9–1, but losing out on the inaugural Western Conference title with a loss to the Chicago Maroons to end the season.[15][16] By 1898 Amos Alonzo Stagg was fast at work at turning the University of Chicago football program into a powerhouse. Before the final game of the 1898 season, Chicago was 9–1–1 and Michigan was 9–0; a game between the two teams in Chicago decided the third Western Conference championship. Michigan won, 12–11, capturing the program's first conference championship in a game that inspired "The Victors", which later became the school's fight song.[17] Michigan went 8–2 and 7–2–1 in 1899 and 1900, results that were considered unsatisfactory relative to the 10–0 season of 1898.[18]
Fielding Yost in 1902.
After the 1900 season, Charles A. Baird, Michigan's first athletic director, wrote to Fielding H. Yost, "Our people are greatly roused up over the defeats of the past two years", and gave Yost an offer to come to Michigan to coach the football team.[19] Upon arriving at Michigan, Yost famously ran up State Street and proclaimed to a reporter, "Michigan isn't going to lose a game."[19] Yost certainly delivered, with the 1901 Michigan team demolishing its opponents. In the first season under head coach Yost, a lopsided victory over Buffalo drew national attention and marked the arrival of Yost's "Point-a-Minute" teams. The Buffalo team beat Ivy League power Columbia earlier in the year and was favored over a Michigan team the Buffalo newspapers had dubbed "Woolly Westerners."[20] Michigan scored 22 touchdowns in 38 minutes of play, averaging a touchdown every one minute and 43 seconds. Buffalo quit 15 minutes before the game was scheduled to end.[20] The New York Times reported that Michigan's margin of victory was "one of the most remarkable ever made in the history of football in the important colleges."[21] At the end of the season, Michigan participated in the inaugural Rose Bowl, the first bowl game in American football history.[22] Michigan dominated the game so thoroughly that Stanford's captain requested the game be called with eight minutes remaining. Neil Snow scored five touchdowns in the game, which is still the all-time Rose Bowl record.[23] The Tournament of Roses Association held chariot races and other events in lieu of a football game for the next 15 years. The next year, 1902, featured a contest between Michigan and the Wisconsin Badgers. The two teams were undefeated since 1900, and the crowd (20,000–22,000) was the largest in western football history. Michigan won, 6–0, leading the Detroit Free Press to call it "the greatest football game ever played on a western gridiron."[24] The undefeated 1902 team outscored its opponents 644 to 12 on its way to an 11–0 season. In 1903, Michigan played a game against Minnesota that started the rivalry for the Little Brown Jug, the oldest rivalry trophy in college football. Yost sent a student assistant to purchase a five-gallon water jug from a local store. After the game ended in a tie, Yost forgot the jug in the locker room. Custodian Oscar Munson discovered it and brought it to L. J. Cooke, who painted the jug brown and wrote "Michigan Jug – Captured by Oscar, October 31, 1903. Michigan 6, Minnesota 6." When Yost requested that the jug be returned, Cooke responded that "if you want it, you'll have to win it."[25] The game marked the only time from 1901 to 1904 that Michigan failed to win.[18] Michigan finished the season at 11–0–1. In 1904, Michigan once again went undefeated at 10–0 while recording one of the most lopsided defeats in college football history, a 130–0 defeat of the West Virginia Mountaineers.[16]
From 1901 through 1904, Michigan didn't lose a single game.[18] The streak was finally halted at the end of the 1905 season by Amos Alonzo Stagg's Chicago Maroons, a team that went on to win two Big 9 (as the Western Conference was now being called with the addition of Iowa and Indiana) titles in the next three years.[15] The game, dubbed "The First Greatest Game of the Century,"[26] broke Michigan's 56-game unbeaten streak and marked the end of the "Point-a-Minute" years. The 1905 Michigan team had outscored opponents 495–0 in its first 12 games. The game was lost in the final ten minutes of play when Denny Clark was tackled for a safety as he attempted to return a punt from behind the goal line. Michigan tied for another Big 9 title in 1906 before opting to go independent for the 1907 season.[16] The independent years were not as kind to Yost as his years in the Big 9. Michigan suffered one loss in 1907.[18] In 1908, Michigan got battered by Penn (a team that went 11–0–1 that year) in a game in which Michigan center Germany Schulz took such a battering as to have to be dragged off the field.[27] In 1909, Michigan suffered its first loss to Notre Dame, leading Yost to refuse to schedule another game against Notre Dame; the schools did not play again until 1942.[16] In 1910, Michigan played their only undefeated season of the independent years, going 3–0–3.[18] Overall from 1907 to 1916, Michigan lost at least one game every year (with the exception of 1910).[18]
Benny Friedman in 1929.
Michigan rejoined the Big 9 in 1917, after which it was called the Big Ten. Yost immediately got back to work. In 1918, Michigan played the first game against Stagg's Chicago Maroons since Chicago ended Michigan's winning streak in 1905.[16] Michigan defeated the Maroons, 18–0, on the way to a 5–0 record.[16][18] The next three years were lean, with Michigan going 3–4, 5–2, and 5–1–1, in 1919, 1920, and 1921.[18] However, in 1922 Michigan managed to spoil the "Dedication Day" for Ohio Stadium, defeating the Buckeyes 19–0.[16] Legend has it that the rotunda at Ohio Stadium is painted with maize flowers on a blue background due to the outcome of the 1922 dedication game.[28] Michigan went 5–0–1 in 1922, capturing a Big Ten title.[15][18] In 1923, Michigan went 8–0, winning another conference championship.[15][18] The 1924 Wolverines, coached by George Little, saw their 20-game unbeaten streak end at the hands of Red Grange.[16] After the 1924 season, Little left Michigan to accept the head coach and athletic director positions at Wisconsin, returning athletic director Yost to the head coaching position.[29] Although the 1925 and 1926 seasons did not include a conference title, they were memorable due to the presence of the famous "Benny-to-Bennie" combination, a reference to Benny Friedman and Bennie Oosterbaan. The two helped popularize passing the ball in an era when running held dominance. Oosterbaan became a three-time All-American and was selected for the All-Time All-American team in 1951,[30] while Friedman went on to have a Hall of Fame NFL career.[31] Also during 1926, Michigan was retroactively awarded national titles for the 1901 and 1902 seasons via the Houlgate System, the first national titles awarded to the program. Other major selectors[who?] later retroactively awarded Michigan with titles in the 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1925, and 1926 seasons.[citation needed] Michigan currently claims titles in the 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, and 1923 seasons.[32] Yost stepped aside in 1926 to focus on being Michigan's athletic director, a post he had held since 1921, thus ending the greatest period of success in the history of Michigan football.[33] Under Yost, Michigan posted a 165–29–10 record, winning ten conference championships and six national championships.[15][16][32] One of his main actions as athletic director was to oversee the construction of Michigan Stadium. Michigan began playing football games in Michigan Stadium in the fall of 1927. At the time Michigan Stadium had a capacity of 72,000, although Yost envisioned eventually expanding the stadium to a capacity well beyond 100,000.[34] Michigan Stadium was formally dedicated during a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes that season to the tune of a 21–0 victory.[35] Elton Wieman became Michigan's head coach in 1927. That year, Michigan posted a modest 6–2 record.[18] However, the team ended 1928 with a losing 3–4–1 record and Wieman was fired.[36][37]
In 1929, Harry Kipke, a former player under Yost, took over as head coach.[38] From 1930 to 1933, Kipke returned Michigan to prominence. During that stretch, Michigan won the Big Ten title every year and the national championship in 1932 and 1933.[15][32] In 1932, quarterback and future College Football Hall of Famer Harry Newman was a unanimous first-team All-American, and the recipient of the Douglas Fairbanks Trophy as Outstanding College Player of the Year (predecessor of the Heisman Trophy), and the Helms Athletic Foundation Player of the Year Award, the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten Conference.[39] During this span Kipke's teams only lost one game, to Ohio State.[16][18] After 1933, however, Kipke's teams compiled a 12–22 record from 1934 to 1937.[18] The 1934 Michigan team only won one game, against Georgia Tech in a controversial contest. Georgia Tech coach and athletic director W. A. "Bill" Alexander refused to allow his team to take the field if Willis Ward, an African-American player for Michigan, stepped on the field. Michigan conceded, and the incident reportedly caused Michigan player Gerald R. Ford to consider quitting the team.[40] Overall, Kipke posted a 49–26–4 record at Michigan, winning four conference championships and two national championships.[15][18][32]
Fritz Crisler era (1938–1947)
Main article: History of Michigan Wolverines football in the Crisler years
In 1938, Michigan hired Fritz Crisler as Kipke's successor.[41] Crisler had been head coach of the Princeton Tigers and reportedly wasn't excited to leave Princeton.[41] Michigan invited him to name his price, and Crisler demanded what he thought would be unacceptable: the position of athletic director when Yost stepped down and the highest salary in college football.[42] Michigan accepted, and Crisler became the new head coach of the Michigan football program.[41]
Fritz Crisler in 1948.
Upon arriving at Michigan, Crisler introduced the winged football helmet, ostensibly to help his players find the receivers down field.[43] Whatever the reasoning, the winged helmet has since become one of the iconic marks of Michigan football.[44] Michigan debuted the winged helmet in a game against Michigan State in 1938.[45] Two years later in 1940, Tom Harmon led the Wolverines to a 7–1 record on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy.[18][46] Harmon ended the season by scoring three rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns, four extra points, intercepting three passes, and punting three times for an average of 50 yards in a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes.[47] The 1943 season included a No. 1 (Notre Dame) vs. No. 2 (Michigan) match-up against Notre Dame, a game the Wolverines lost 35–12.[16] Michigan ended the season at 8–1, winning Crisler's first Big Ten championship.[15][18]
Crisler had reversed the misfortune of the end of the Kipke era and returned Michigan to one and two-loss seasons. From 1938 to 1944, Michigan posted a 48–11–2 record,[48] although the period lacked a national title and only contained one conference title.[18] Yet, Crisler's biggest mark on the game of football was made in 1945, when Michigan faced a loaded Army squad that featured two Heisman trophy winners, Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis. Crisler didn't feel that his Michigan team could match up with Army, so he opted to take advantage of a 1941 NCAA rule that allowed players to enter or leave at any point during the game.[42] Crisler divided his team into "offensive" and "defensive" specialists, an act that earned him the nickname "the father of two-platoon football."[49] Michigan still lost the game with Army 28–7,[16] but Crisler's use of two-platoon football shaped the way the game was played in the future. Eventually, Crisler's use of the platoon system propelled his team to a conference championship and a national title in 1947, his final season.[15][16][32] The 1947 team, nicknamed the "Mad Magicians" due to their use of two-platoon football, capped their season with a 49–0 victory over the USC Trojans in the 1948 Rose Bowl.[16] Crisler finished with a 116–32–9 record at Michigan, winning two conference titles and one national title.[15][18][32][48]
Bennie Oosterbaan era (1948–1958)
Main article: History of Michigan Wolverines football in the Oosterbaan years
Crisler continued as athletic director while Bennie Oosterbaan, the same Bennie that had electrified the world while making connections with Benny Friedman 20 years earlier, took over the football program.[50] Things started off well for Oosterbaan in 1948 with the Wolverines earning a quality mid-season victory over #3 Northwestern.[16][50] Michigan finished the season undefeated at 9–0, thus winning another national championship.[18][32] Initially, Oosterbaan continued Crisler's tradition of on-field success, winning conference titles each year from 1948 to 1950 and the national title in 1948.[15][32] The 1950 season ended in interesting fashion, with Michigan and Ohio State combining for 45 punts in a game that came to be known as the "Snow Bowl." Michigan won the game 9–3, winning the Big Ten conference and sending the Wolverines off to the 1951 Rose Bowl.[15][16] Subsequently, Michigan's football team began to decline under Oosterbaan. From 1951 to 1958, Michigan compiled a record of 42–26–2, a far cry from the success under Crisler and Yost.[18] Perhaps more importantly, Oosterbaan posted a 2–5–1 record against Michigan State and a 3–5 record against Ohio State over the same time period.[16] Under mounting pressure, Oosterbaan stepped down after 1958.[50]
Bump Elliott era (1959–1968)
Main article: History of Michigan Wolverines football in the Elliott years
In place of Oosterbaan stepped Bump Elliott, a former Michigan player of Crisler's. Elliott continued many of the struggles that began under Oosterbaan, posting a 51–42–2 record from 1959 through 1968 (including a 2–7–1 record against Michigan State and a 3–7 record against Ohio State).[18] Michigan's only Big Ten title under Elliott came in 1964, a season that included a win over Oregon State in the 1965 Rose Bowl.[15][16] Following a 50-14 drubbing at the hands of Ohio State in 1968,[16] Elliott resigned, opening the way for Michigan athletic director Don Canham to hire Bo Schembechler.
Bo Schembechler era (1969–1989)
This section is too long. Consider splitting it into new pages, adding subheadings, or condensing it. (February 2018)
Bo Schembechler in 1975.
It took 15 minutes for Don Canham to be sold on Bo Schembechler, resulting in Schembechler becoming the 15th coach in Michigan football history.[51] At the time, Schembechler's current employer, the Miami RedHawks, could have thrown more money at Schembechler, but Canham managed to sell Schembechler on Michigan's tradition and prestige.[52] Schembechler's respect for Michigan was evident early on when assistants complained about how the equipment they had was worse than what they had to work with at Miami. Schembechler gestured to a rusty chair and said, "See this chair? Fielding Yost sat in this chair. See this nail? Fielding Yost hung his hat on that nail. And you're telling me we had better stuff at Miami? No men, we didn't. We have tradition here, Michigan tradition, and that's something no one else has!"[53] Schembechler immediately got to work in turning around his team. He had a reputation for being hard on his players, causing 65 of his 140 players to quit the team before the season even started.[54] In response, Schembechler promised his team "Those Who Stay Will be Champions", assuring the players that remained that their efforts would be rewarded.[54]
Schembechler's first team got off to a moderate start, losing to rival Michigan State and entering the Ohio State game with a 7–2 record.[18] Ohio State, coached by icon Woody Hayes, entered the game at 8–0 and poised to repeat as national champions.[55] The 1969 Ohio State team was hailed by some as being the "greatest college football team ever assembled" and came into the game favored by 17 points over Michigan.[56] Michigan shocked the Buckeyes, winning 24–12, going to the Rose Bowl, and launching The Ten Year War between Hayes and Schembechler.[16] From 1969 to 1978, one of either Ohio State or Michigan won at least a share of the Big Ten title and represented the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl every season.[15]
In 1970 Schembechler failed to repeat on the magic of 1969, that year losing to Ohio State 20–9 and finishing at 9–1.[16] However, in 1971, Schembechler led Michigan to an undefeated regular season, only to lose to the Stanford Indians in the Rose Bowl to finish at 11–1 and miss out on a chance at a national championship.[18] From 1972 to 1975, Michigan failed to win a game against Ohio State (powered by phenom running back Archie Griffin), finishing at 10–1, 10–0–1, 10–1, and 8–2–2.[16] However, Michigan did tie Ohio State in 1973, only missing out on the Rose Bowl due to a controversial vote that sent Ohio State to the Rose Bowl and left Michigan at home.[16] Another notable event occurred during the 1975 season, with the first of Michigan's record streak of games with more than 100,000 people in attendance occurring during a game against the Purdue Boilermakers.
Rick Leach, who played quarterback for Michigan from 1975 through 1978.
From 1976 to 1978, Michigan asserted its own dominance of the rivalry, beating Ohio State, going to the Rose Bowl, and posting a 10–2 record every year.[16][18] After the 1978 season, Woody Hayes was fired for punching an opposing player during the 1978 Gator Bowl, thus ending The Ten Year War.[57] Michigan had a slight edge in the war, with Schembechler going 5–4–1 against Hayes. However, while Schembechler successfully placed great emphasis on the rivalry, Michigan's bowl performances were sub-par. Michigan failed to win their last game of the season every year during The Ten Year War.[16] The only year in which Michigan didn't lose its last game of the season was the 1973 tie against Ohio State.[16]
After the end of the Ten Year War, Michigan's regular season performance declined, but their post season performance improved. The 1979 season included a memorable game against Indiana that ended with a touchdown pass from John Wangler to Anthony Carter with six seconds left in the game.[58] The play was made famous by Bob Ufer's emotional radio narration: "Under center is Wangler at the 45, he goes back. He's looking for a receiver. He throws downfield to Carter. Carter has it. [unintelligible screaming] Carter scores. . . . I have never seen anything like this in all my 40 years of covering Michigan football. . . . I hope you can hear me – because I've never been so happy in all my cotton-picking 59 years! . . . Johnny Wangler to Anthony Carter will be heard until another 100 years of Michigan football is played! . . . Meeeshigan wins, 27 to 21. They aren't even going to try the extra point. Who cares? Who gives a damn?".[59] Michigan went 8–4 on the season, losing to North Carolina in the 1979 Gator Bowl.[16][18]
In 1980, Michigan went 10–2 and got their first win in the Rose Bowl under Schembechler, a 23–6 win over Washington.[16][18] Michigan went 9–3 in 1981 to get Schembechler's second bowl win in the 1981 Bluebonnet Bowl.[16][18] In 1982, Michigan won the Big Ten championship while being led by three-time All-American wide receiver Anthony Carter.[15][60] Michigan fell to UCLA Bruins in the 1983 Rose Bowl.[16] Without Anthony Carter, the Wolverines did not win the Big Ten title in 1983, going 9–3.[18] In 1984, the Wolverines suffered their worst season under Schembechler, going 6–6 with a loss to national champion BYU in the 1984 Holiday Bowl.[16][18]
Michigan needed to reverse its fortunes in 1985, and they began doing so with new quarterback Jim Harbaugh.[61] Harbaugh led the Wolverines to a 5–0 record, propelling them to a No. 2 ranking heading into a game with the #1 Iowa Hawkeyes.[62] Michigan lost 12–10,[16] but did not lose another game the rest of the season to finish at 10–1–1 with a victory over Tom Osborne's Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl.[18] In 1986 Michigan won the Big Ten at 11–2, suffering a loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 1987 Rose Bowl.[16][18]
The departure of Harbaugh after 1986 once again left Michigan on tough times as Schembechler's team stumbled to an 8–4 record in 1987.[18] However, Michigan bounced back again in 1988 and 1989, winning the Big Ten title outright both years at 9–2–1 and 10–2 with trips to Rose Bowl.[15][18] From 1981 through 1989, Michigan went 80–27–2, winning four Big Ten titles and going to a bowl game every year (with another Rose Bowl win obtained against USC Trojans after the 1988 season).[16] Bo Schembechler retired after the 1989 season, handing the job over to his offensive coordinator Gary Moeller.[63] Under Schembechler, Michigan posted a 194–48–5 record[64] (11–9–1 against Ohio State), and won 13 Big Ten championships.[64]
Gary Moeller era (1990–1994)
Gary Moeller took over from Schembechler for the 1990 season, becoming the 16th head coach in Michigan football history.[65] Moeller inherited a talented squad that had just played in the 1990 Rose Bowl, including wide receiver Desmond Howard. Moeller led Michigan to a 9–3 record in his first season,[18] tying for the Big Ten championship but losing out on a Rose Bowl bid to Iowa.[15][16] The next two years, Moeller's teams won the conference outright, setting marks of 10–2 and 9–0–3.[15][18] In 1991, Desmond Howard had a memorable season that propelled him to win the Heisman Trophy, the award given to college football's most outstanding player.[66] The 1992 team, led by quarterback Elvis Grbac, posted a 9–0–3 record,[18] defeating Washington in the 1993 Rose Bowl.[16] Moeller led Michigan to 8–4 records in both 1993 and 1994.[18] The 1994 season was marked by an early-season loss to Colorado that included a Hail Mary pass from Kordell Stewart to Michael Westbrook to end the game, leading to the game being dubbed "The Miracle at Michigan."[67] After the 1994 season, Moeller was found intoxicated at a Southfield, MI restaurant in an incident in which Moeller was caught on tape throwing a punch in a police station, which resulted in his firing.[68]
Lloyd Carr era (1995–2007)
This section is too long. Consider splitting it into new pages, adding subheadings, or condensing it. (February 2018)
Michigan's athletic director appointed Lloyd Carr, an assistant at Michigan since 1980, as interim head coach for the 1995 season.[69] However, after an 8–2 start, Michigan dropped the interim tag from Carr's title and named him its 17th head coach, signing Carr to a four-year contract worth $250,000 per year.[70] Michigan finished his first season at 9–4.[18][71] Carr had similar success in his second season, going 8–4 and earning a trip to the 1997 Outback Bowl.[18] Carr returned a strong squad for the 1997 season, led by cornerback and punt returner Charles Woodson.[72] Michigan went undefeated in 1997.[16][18] Overall, the Michigan defense only allowed 9.5 points per game and ended the season ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll, giving Michigan its first national championship since 1948 with a victory in the 1998 Rose Bowl.[73][74][16][32] For his efforts, Woodson won the Heisman Trophy and was selected 4th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.[75] With Tom Brady as quarterback, Michigan went 10–3 and repeated as Big Ten champions in 1998, but in 1999 Michigan lost out on the conference championship at 10–2 to the Wisconsin Badgers.[15][18] Drew Henson led Michigan to a 9–3 record and a tie for the Big Ten championship in 2000.[15][18]
Ohio State, Michigan's chief rival, fired their coach John Cooper, who was 2–10–1 against Michigan while at Ohio State, after the 2000 season and replaced him with Jim Tressel.[76][77] Tressel immediately ushered in a new era in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, upsetting the Wolverines 26–20 in 2001,[78] his first season at the helm.[16] This came on the heels of another last-second loss in which Michigan State defeated Michigan with a pass in the last second of the game in a controversial finish that led to the game being referred to as "Clockgate."[79] Despite these setbacks, Michigan's 2001 squad, led by John Navarre, went 8–4 with an appearance in the 2002 Florida Citrus Bowl.[80][16][18] Again under Navarre in 2002, Michigan compiled a 10–3 record,[81] but included another loss to Ohio State, who went on to win the national championship.[82][16][18] Carr got over the hump against Tressel in 2003 as John Navarre and Doak Walker Award-winning running back Chris Perry led the Wolverines to a 10–3 record,[83] a Big Ten championship, and an appearance in the 2004 Rose Bowl.[15][16][18]
2006 Michigan Wolverines huddle during a game against the Central Michigan Chippewas.
For the 2004 season, Carr turned to highly rated recruit Chad Henne to lead the Wolverines at quarterback.[84] Michigan went 9–3 in 2004[85] to tie for another Big Ten championship and earn a trip to the 2005 Rose Bowl, but the season again included a loss to Ohio State,[86] who only went 8–4 on the season.[15][16][18] In 2005, Michigan struggled to make a bowl game, only going 7–5, with the season capped with another loss to Ohio State.[16][18] Expectations were tempered going into the 2006 season; however, a 47–21 blowout of #2 Notre Dame[87] and an 11–0 start propelled Michigan to the No. 2 rankings going into "The Game" with #1 Ohio State.[88] The 2006 Ohio State-Michigan game was hailed by the media as the "Game of the Century."[89] The day before the game, Bo Schembechler died, leading Ohio State to honor him with a moment of silence, one of the few Michigan Men to be so honored in Ohio Stadium.[90][91] The game itself was a back-and-forth affair, with Ohio State winning 42–39 for the right to play in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game.[16] Michigan lost to USC in the 2007 Rose Bowl, ending the season at 11–2.[16][18]
Going into 2007, Michigan had high expectations.[92] Standout players Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Jake Long all opted to return for their senior seasons for one last crack at Ohio State and a chance at a national championship, causing Michigan to be ranked fifth in the preseason polls.[93] However, Michigan's struggles against the spread offense reared its ugly head again as the Wolverines shockingly lose the opener to the Appalachian State Mountaineers.[94][95][16] The game marked the first win by a Division I-AA team over a team ranked in the Associated Press Poll.[96] The next week, Michigan was blown out by Oregon.[97][16] Despite the early rough start, Michigan won their next eight games and went into the Ohio State game with a chance to win the Big Ten championship.[16] However, Michigan once again fell to the Buckeyes, this time 14–3.[98][16] After the game, Lloyd Carr announced that he would retire as Michigan head coach after the bowl game.[99] In the 2008 Capital One Bowl, Carr's final game, Michigan defeated the defending national champion Florida Gators, led by Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, 41–35.[100] Carr's accomplishments at Michigan included a 122–40 record, five Big Ten championships, and one national championship.[15][16][32]
Rich Rodriguez era (2008–2010)
Rich Rodriguez at Michigan in 2008.
Following Carr's retirement, Michigan launched a coaching search that ultimately saw Rich Rodriguez lured away from his alma mater, West Virginia.[101] Rodriguez's arrival marked the beginning of major upheaval in the Michigan football program. Rodriguez, a proponent of the spread offense, installed it in place of the pro-style offense that had been used by Carr. The offseason saw significant attrition in Michigan's roster. The expected starting quarterback Ryan Mallett departed the program, stating that he would be unable to fit in a spread offense. Starting wide receivers Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington both decided to forgo their senior seasons and enter the NFL Draft.[102] Michigan lost a good deal of its depth and, when the 2008 season began, was forced to start players with very little playing experience.
The 2008 season was disappointing for Michigan, finishing at 3–9 and suffering its first losing campaign since 1967. Michigan also missed a bowl game invitation for the first time since 1974. For the 2009 season the team saw many changes from the previous year. A new practice facility replaced Oosterbaan Fieldhouse as Michigan's indoor practice facility,[103] and two new quarterbacks, Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson, became the focus of the offseason. The week before the season began, however, the Detroit Free Press accused the team of violating the NCAA's practice time limits.[104] While the NCAA conducted investigations, Michigan won its first four games, including a last second victory against its rival Notre Dame. The season ended in disappointment, however, as Michigan went 1–7 in its last eight games and missed a bowl for the second straight season.
Rodriguez's final season began with new hope in the program, as Robinson was named the starting quarterback over Forcier. Robinson led the Wolverines to a 5–0 start, but after a defeat to Michigan State at home, the Wolverines finished the season 2–5 over their last seven games. Michigan did, however, qualify for a bowl game with a 7–5 record, and clinched its bowl berth in dramatic fashion against Illinois, with Michigan winning 67–65 in three overtime periods. The game was the highest combined scoring game in Michigan history, and saw Michigan's defense give up the most points in its history.[105] Michigan was invited to the Gator Bowl to face Mississippi State, losing 52–14. The Michigan defense set new school records as the worst defense in Michigan history. In the middle of the season, the NCAA announced its penalties against Michigan for the practice time violations. The program was placed on three years probation and docked 130 practice hours, which was twice the amount Michigan had exceeded.[106]
Rodriguez was fired following the bowl game, with athletic director Dave Brandon citing Rodriguez's failure to meet expectations as the main reason for his dismissal.[107] Rodriguez left the program winless against rivals Michigan State and Ohio State and compiled a 15–22 record, the worst record of any head coach in Michigan history.[108]
Brady Hoke era (2011–2014)
Athletic director Dave Brandon (left) with head coach Brady Hoke in 2011.
Michigan announced the hiring of head coach Brady Hoke on January 11, 2011.[109][110] He became the 19th head coach in Michigan football history.[111] Hoke had previously been the head coach at his alma mater Ball State and then San Diego State after serving as an assistant at Michigan under Lloyd Carr from 1995 to 2002.[112] In his first season, Hoke led the Wolverines to 11 wins,[113] beating rival Notre Dame with a spectacular comeback in Michigan's first night game at Michigan Stadium.[114] Despite losing to Iowa and Michigan State, the Wolverines finished with a 10–2 regular season record with their first win over Ohio State in eight years.[115] The Wolverines received an invitation to the Sugar Bowl in which they defeated Virginia Tech, 23–20, in overtime.[116] This was the program's first bowl win since the season of 2007. Until the streak was broken in 2008, Michigan had appeared in a bowl game each year since the 1975 season.
In Hoke's second season, he led Michigan to an 8–5 record.[117] The Wolverines dropped their season opener to eventual national champions, Alabama in Dallas, Texas. U-M won the next two games at home in non-conference bouts against Air Force and UMass, totaling 94 points over the two games. Michigan then traveled to face eventual national runner-up Notre Dame. In this game, the Wolverines committed six turnovers, including five interceptions, as they fell to the Fighting Irish by a 13–6 final. After back-to-back wins over Purdue and Illinois, they defeated in-state rival Michigan State for the first time since 2007. The win was the 900th in program history, becoming the first program to reach the milestone.[118] U-M finished the season with wins over Minnesota, Northwestern and Iowa as well as losses to Nebraska and Ohio State to finish the regular season. Michigan was selected to participate in the 2013 Outback Bowl, where they fell to South Carolina by a 33–28 score.
In the 2013 campaign, Michigan finished with a 7–6 record,[119] including a 3–5 record in Big Ten play and a loss to Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl 31-14.[120] On December 2, 2014, Hoke was fired as Michigan head coach after four seasons.[121] This followed a 5–7 record in 2014.[122] This marked only the third season since 1975 in which the Wolverines missed a bowl game. Hoke compiled a 31–20 record, including an 18–14 record in Big Ten play.[123]
Jim Harbaugh era (2015–present)
Coach Harbaugh
On December 30, 2014, the University announced the hiring of Jim Harbaugh as the team's 20th head coach.[124] Harbaugh, who was starting quarterback in the mid 1980s under Bo Schembechler, had most recently served as head coach of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers after a college head coaching stint at Stanford. In his first season, Harbaugh led Michigan to a 10–3 record,[125] including a 41–7 win over the Florida Gators in the 2016 Citrus Bowl.[126] The squad achieved an identical 10–3 record during the 2016 season, which ended with a 33–32 loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl on December 30. The team lost many key players on the offensive and defensive side of the ball prior to Harbaugh's third season. The Wolverines went 8–4 in the regular season losing to their main rivals, Michigan State and Ohio State, and lost to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl, dropping the record on the year to 8–5. Harbaugh's fourth season started with a loss to rival Notre Dame, followed by ten consecutive wins. Wins over ranked Big Ten opponents Michigan State, Wisconsin, Penn State, all of whom beat Michigan the previous year, led to the team rallying around referring to the season as a "revenge tour."[127] The Wolverines rose to fourth in the College Football Playoff rankings, but the "revenge tour" came to an abrupt end when they were upset by rival Ohio State to end the regular season. A blowout loss to Florida in the Peach Bowl ended the season, and they finished at 10–3 for the third time in Harbaugh's four years.
Conference affiliations
Independent (1879–1891)
Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest (1892–1893)
Independent (1894–1895)
Western Conference (1896–1906)
Independent (1907–1916)
Western Conference (1917–1952)
Big Ten Conference (1953–present)
Bowl games
Michigan has played in 47 bowl games in its history, compiling a record of 21–26. Before missing a bowl game in 2008, Michigan had made a bowl game 33 years in a row, the second longest streak (as of the end of 2013 season) in college football history.[128] From the 1921 to 1945 seasons, the Big Ten Conference did not allow its teams to participate in bowls. From the 1946 to 1974 seasons, only a conference champion, or a surrogate representative, was allowed to attend a bowl, the Rose Bowl, and no team could go two years in a row until the 1972 Rose Bowl, with the exception of Minnesota in 1961 and 1962.
Date Bowl Opponent Result
January 1, 1902 Rose Bowl Stanford W 49–0
January 1, 1948 Rose Bowl USC W 49–0
January 1, 1951 Rose Bowl California W 14–6
January 1, 1965 Rose Bowl Oregon State W 34–7
January 1, 1970 Rose Bowl USC L 3–10
January 1, 1972 Rose Bowl Stanford L 12–13
January 1, 1976 Orange Bowl Oklahoma L 6–14
January 1, 1977 Rose Bowl USC L 6–14
January 2, 1978 Rose Bowl Washington L 20–27
January 1, 1979 Rose Bowl USC L 10–17
December 28, 1979 Gator Bowl North Carolina L 15–17
January 1, 1981 Rose Bowl Washington W 23–6
December 31, 1981 Bluebonnet Bowl UCLA W 33–14
January 1, 1983 Rose Bowl UCLA L 14–24
January 2, 1984 Sugar Bowl Auburn L 7–9
December 21, 1984 Holiday Bowl BYU L 17–24
January 1, 1986 Fiesta Bowl Nebraska W 27–23
January 1, 1987 Rose Bowl Arizona State L 15–22
January 2, 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl Alabama W 28–24
January 2, 1989 Rose Bowl USC W 22–14
January 1, 1990 Rose Bowl USC L 10–17
January 1, 1991 Gator Bowl Ole Miss W 35–3
January 1, 1992 Rose Bowl Washington L 14–34
January 1, 1993 Rose Bowl Washington W 38–31
January 1, 1994 Hall of Fame Bowl NC State W 42–7
December 30, 1994 Holiday Bowl Colorado State W 24–14
December 28, 1995 Alamo Bowl Texas A&M L 20–22
January 1, 1997 Outback Bowl Alabama L 14–17
January 1, 1998 Rose Bowl Washington State W 21–16
January 1, 1999 Citrus Bowl Arkansas W 45–31
January 1, 2000 Orange Bowl Alabama W 35–34
January 1, 2001 Citrus Bowl Auburn W 31–28
January 1, 2002 Citrus Bowl Tennessee L 17–45
January 1, 2003 Outback Bowl Florida W 38–30
January 1, 2004 Rose Bowl USC L 14–28
January 1, 2005 Rose Bowl Texas L 37–38
December 28, 2005 Alamo Bowl Nebraska L 28–32
January 1, 2007 Rose Bowl USC L 18–32
January 1, 2008 Capital One Bowl Florida W 41–35
January 1, 2011 Gator Bowl Mississippi State L 14–52
January 3, 2012 Sugar Bowl Virginia Tech W 23–20
January 1, 2013 Outback Bowl South Carolina L 28–33
December 28, 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Kansas State L 14–31
January 1, 2016 Citrus Bowl Florida W 41–7
December 30, 2016 Orange Bowl Florida State L 32–33
January 1, 2018 Outback Bowl South Carolina L 19–26
December 29, 2018 Peach Bowl Florida L 15–41
Total 47 bowl games 21–26 1112–1022
Bowl record by game
Bowl Name # W L %
Alamo Bowl 2 0 2 .000
Bluebonnet Bowl 1 1 0 1.000
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl 1 0 1 .000
Citrus Bowl (Capital One Bowl) 5 4 1 .800
Fiesta Bowl 1 1 0 1.000
Gator Bowl 3 1 2 .333
Holiday Bowl 2 1 1 .500
Outback Bowl (Hall of Fame Bowl) 6 3 3 .500
Orange Bowl 3 1 2 .333
Peach Bowl 1 0 1 .000
Rose Bowl 20 8 12 .400
Sugar Bowl 2 1 1 .500
Venues
Washtenaw County Fairgrounds (1883–1892)
Main article: Washtenaw County Fairgrounds
In the early days of Michigan football, Michigan played smaller home games at the Washtenaw County Fairgrounds with larger games being held in Detroit at the Detroit Athletic Club.[129] The Fairgrounds were originally located at the southeast intersection of Hill and Forest, but in 1890 moved to what is now called Burns Park.[129]
Regents Field (1893–1905)
Main article: Regents Field
Regents Field just before kickoff during the 1904 game between Michigan and Chicago
In 1890, the Board of Regents authorized $3,000 ($78,947.37 in 2014 dollars) for the purchase of a parcel of land along South State Street.[130] In 1891 a further $4,500 ($118,421.05 in 2014 dollars) was authorized "for the purpose of fitting up the athletic field."[130] Michigan began play on Regents Field in 1893, with capacity being expanded to over 15,000 by the end of the field's use.[130]
Ferry Field (1906–1926)
Main article: Ferry Field
By 1902 Regents Field had grown inadequate for the uses of the football team as a result of the sport's increasing popularity.[131] Thanks to donations from Dexter M. Ferry, work began on planning the next home stadium for the Michigan football team. Powered by a $30,000 donation from Ferry, Ferry Field was constructed with a maximum temporary capacity of 18,000 for the 1906 season.[131] Ferry Field was expanded to a capacity of 21,000 in 1914 and 42,000 in 1921.[131] However, attendance was often over-capacity with crowds of 48,000 cramming into the small stadium.[131] This prompted athletic director Fielding Yost to contemplate the construction of a much larger stadium.
Michigan Stadium (1927–present)
Main article: Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium on September 17, 2011
Fielding H. Yost anticipated massive crowds as college football's popularity increased and wished to build a stadium with a capacity of at least 80,000.[34] Ultimately, the final plans authorized the construction of a stadium with a capacity of 72,000 with footings to be set in place to expand it beyond 100,000 later.[34] Michigan Stadium was dedicated in 1927 during a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes, drawing an over-capacity crowd of 84,401.[132] After World War II, crowd sizes increased, prompting another stadium expansion to a capacity of 93,894 in 1949.[132] Michigan Stadium cracked the 100,000 mark by expanding to 101,001 in 1955.[132] Michigan Stadium temporarily lost the title of "largest stadium" to Neyland Stadium of the Tennessee Volunteers in 1996, but recaptured the title in 1998 with another expansion to 107,501.[133] In 2007, the Board of Regents authorized a $226 million renovation to add a new press box, 83 luxury boxes, and 3,200 club seats.[134] For the 2011 season, lights were installed at Michigan Stadium at the cost of $1.8 million.[135] This allowed Michigan to play its first night game at home against Notre Dame in 2011.[136]
Rivalries
Ohio State
Main article: Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry
Michigan and Ohio State first played each other in 1897. Ohio State's victory in 2010 was vacated. The rivalry was particularly enhanced during The Ten Year War, a period in which Ohio State was coached by Woody Hayes and Michigan was coached by Bo Schembechler. Overall, the Buckeye and Wolverine football programs have combined for 19 national titles, 77 conference titles, and 10 Heisman Trophy winners. Michigan holds a 58–50–6 advantage through the 2018 season.[137]
Michigan State
Main article: Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry
Michigan and Michigan State first played each other in 1898. Since Michigan State joined the Big Ten Conference in 1953, the two schools have competed annually for the Paul Bunyan – Governor of Michigan Trophy. The winner retains possession of the trophy until the next year's game. Michigan currently leads the trophy series 37–27–2. Michigan is the current holder of the trophy following a 21–7 win in 2018. Michigan holds a 70–36–5 advantage through the 2018 season.[138]
Minnesota
Main article: Michigan–Minnesota football rivalry
Michigan plays Minnesota for the Little Brown Jug trophy. The Little Brown Jug is the most regularly exchanged rivalry trophy in college football, the oldest trophy game in FBS college football, and the second oldest rivalry trophy overall.[139] Through the 2017 season, Michigan leads the overall series 75–25–3.[140]
Notre Dame
Main article: Michigan–Notre Dame football rivalry
Michigan and Notre Dame began playing each other in 1887 in Notre Dame's first football game.[141] The rivalry is notable due to the historical success of the football programs. Through the end of the 2017 season, Michigan is ranked No. 1 in wins and all-time winning percentage while Notre Dame is No. 2 in both categories.[142] Both schools also claim 11 national championships.[143] Michigan and Notre Dame have played in 42 contests, with Michigan holding a 24–17–1 advantage through the 2018 season.[144]
Championships
National championships
The following is a list of Michigan's 11 claimed national championships:[145]
Year Coach Selector Record Bowl
1901 Fielding H. Yost Helms,[146] Houlgate,[146] NCF 11–0 Won Rose
1902 Fielding H. Yost Helms, Billingsley, Houlgate, Parke H. Davis,[146] NCF 11–0
1903 Fielding H. Yost Billingsley, NCF 11–0–1
1904 Fielding H. Yost Billingsley, NCF 10–0
1918 Fielding H. Yost Billingsley, NCF 5–0
1923 Fielding H. Yost Billingsley, NCF 8–0
1932 Harry G. Kipke Dickinson, Parke H. Davis 8–0
1933 Harry G. Kipke Billingsley, Boand, Dickinson, Helms, Houlgate, CFRA, NCF, Parke H. Davis, Poling 7–0–1
1947 Fritz Crisler Berryman, Billingsley, Boand, DeVold, Dunkel, CFRA, Helms, Houlgate, Litkenhous, NCF, Poling, Sagarin 10–0 Won Rose
1948 Bennie Oosterbaan AP 9–0
1997 Lloyd Carr AP, FWAA,[147] NFF[147] 12–0 Won Rose
National Championships 11
Other undefeated seasons
Michigan was also undefeated in 12 other seasons: 1879, 1880, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1898, 1910, 1922, 1930, 1973, 1992.
Conference championships
The following is a list of Michigan's 42 conference championships as of 2017.
Year Coach Overall record Big Ten record
1898 Gustave Ferbert 10–0 3–0
1901 † Fielding H. Yost 11–0 4–0
1902 Fielding H. Yost 11–0 5–0
1903 † Fielding H. Yost 11–0–1 3–0–1
1904 † Fielding H. Yost 10–0 2–0
1906 † Fielding H. Yost 4–1 1–0
1918 † Fielding H. Yost 5–0 2–0
1922 † Fielding H. Yost 6–0–1 4–0
1923 † Fielding H. Yost 8–0 4–0
1925 Fielding H. Yost 7–1 5–1
1926 † Fielding H. Yost 7–1 5–0
1930 † Harry Kipke 8–0–1 5–0
1931 † Harry Kipke 8–1–1 5–1
1932 † Harry Kipke 8–0 6–0
1933 † Harry Kipke 7–0–1 5–0–1
1943 † Fritz Crisler 8–1 6–0
1947 Fritz Crisler 10–0 6–0
1948 Bennie Oosterbaan 9–0 6–0
1949 † Bennie Oosterbaan 6–2–1 4–1–1
1950 Bennie Oosterbaan 6–3–1 4–1–1
1964 Bump Elliott 9–1 6–1
1969 † Bo Schembechler 8–3 6–1
1971 Bo Schembechler 11–1 8–0
1972 † Bo Schembechler 10–1 7–1
1973 † Bo Schembechler 10–0–1 7–0–1
1974 † Bo Schembechler 10–1 7–1
1976 † Bo Schembechler 10–2 7–1
1977 † Bo Schembechler 10–2 7–1
1978 † Bo Schembechler 10–2 7–1
1980 Bo Schembechler 10–2 8–0
1982 Bo Schembechler 8–4 8–1
1986 † Bo Schembechler 11–2 7–1
1988 Bo Schembechler 9–2–1 7–0–1
1989 Bo Schembechler 10–2 8–0
1990 † Gary Moeller 9–3 6–2
1991 Gary Moeller 10–2 8–0
1992 Gary Moeller 9–0–3 6–0–2
1997 Lloyd Carr 12–0 8–0
1998 † Lloyd Carr 10–3 7–1
2000 † Lloyd Carr 9–3 6–2
2003 Lloyd Carr 10–3 7–1
2004 † Lloyd Carr 9–3 7–1
† Co-champions
Divisional championships
Since 2011, Big Ten has moved to divisions to ultimately decide who would play for the conference championship. The divisions were known as Legends and Leaders from 2011 to 2013. In 2014, the divisions were realigned geographically into East and West. Michigan competes in the Big Ten East. Michigan has shared one division title.
Year Division Coach Opponent CG result
2018† Big Ten East Jim Harbaugh N/A lost tiebreaker to Ohio State
† Co-champions
Program records and achievements
Team records
Most wins in college football history (953)
Most winning seasons of any program (115)[148]
Head coaching history
Main article: List of Michigan Wolverines head football coaches
Current coaching staff
Name Position coached
Jim Harbaugh Head coach
Josh Gattis Offensive Coordinator
Don Brown Defensive coordinator/Linebackers
Ben McDaniels Quarterbacks Coach
Chris Partridge Safeties Coach and Special Teams Coordinator
Ed Warinner Offensive Line Coach
Jay Harbaugh Running Backs Coach and Co-Special Teams Coordinator
Sherrone Moore Tight Ends Coach
Anthony Campanile Defensive Assistant
Mike Zordich Defensive Backs Coach and Special Teams Coach
Shaun Nua Defensive Line Coach
Individual awards and honors
See also: Michigan Wolverines football statistical leaders
National award winners
Players
Heisman Trophy
1940: Tom Harmon
1991: Desmond Howard
1997: Charles Woodson
Maxwell Award
1940: Tom Harmon
1991: Desmond Howard
Walter Camp Award
1991: Desmond Howard
1997: Charles Woodson
Chic Harley Award
1964: Bob Timberlake
1986: Jim Harbaugh
1991: Desmond Howard
1997: Charles Woodson
Dick Butkus Award
1991: Erick Anderson
Jack Lambert Trophy
1991: Erick Anderson
Paul Warfield Trophy
1991: Desmond Howard
2004: Braylon Edwards
Jim Parker Trophy
1991: Greg Skrepenak
2000: Steve Hutchinson
2007: Jake Long
Sammy Baugh Trophy
1992: Elvis Grbac
Jack Tatum Trophy
1997: Charles Woodson
Jim Thorpe Award
1997: Charles Woodson
Chuck Bednarik Award
1997: Charles Woodson
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
1997: Charles Woodson
Doak Walker Award
2003: Chris Perry
Jim Brown Trophy
2003: Chris Perry
Fred Biletnikoff Award
2004: Braylon Edwards
Rimington Trophy
2004: David Baas
2011: David Molk
Lombardi Award
2006: LaMarr Woodley
Ted Hendricks Award
2006: LaMarr Woodley
Ozzie Newsome Award
2015: Jake Butt
John Mackey Award
2016: Jake Butt
Lott IMPACT Trophy
2016: Jabrill Peppers
Paul Hornung Award
2016: Jabrill Peppers
Coaches
AFCA Coach of the Year
1947: Fritz Crisler
1948: Bennie Oosterbaan
1969: Bo Schembechler
1997: Lloyd Carr
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award
1997: Lloyd Carr
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
1969: Bo Schembechler
Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award
1969: Bo Schembechler
1997: Lloyd Carr
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award
1977: Bo Schembechler
2007: Lloyd Carr
Sporting News Coach of the Year
1985: Bo Schembechler
Woody Hayes Trophy
1985: Bo Schembechler
1997: Lloyd Carr
George Munger Award
1989: Bo Schembechler
1997: Lloyd Carr
2011: Brady Hoke
Broyles Award
1997: Jim Herrmann
AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year
2001: Fred Jackson
Heisman Trophy voting
Twenty-six Heisman Trophy candidates have played at Michigan, Three have won the award:
1939: Tom Harmon, 2nd
1940: Tom Harmon, 1st
1941: Bob Westfall, 8th
1943: Bill Daley, 7th
1947: Bob Chappuis, 2nd
1955: Ron Kramer, 8th
1956: Ron Kramer, 6th
1964: Bob Timberlake, 4th
1968: Ron Johnson, 6th
1974: Dennis Franklin, 8th
1975: Gordon Bell, 8th
1976: Rob Lytle, 3rd
1977: Rick Leach, 8th
1978: Rick Leach, 3rd
1980: Anthony Carter, 10th
1981: Anthony Carter, 7th
1982: Anthony Carter, 4th
1986: Jim Harbaugh, 3rd
1991: Desmond Howard, 1st
1993: Tyrone Wheatley, 8th
1994: Tyrone Wheatley, 12th
1995: Tim Biakabutuka, 8th
1997: Charles Woodson, 1st
2003: Chris Perry, 4th
2004: Braylon Edwards, 10th
2006: Mike Hart, 5th
2010: Denard Robinson, 6th
2016 Jabrill Peppers, 5th
All-Americans
Main article: List of Michigan Wolverines football All-Americans
Team and conference MVP
Michigan Most Valuable Player Award (1926–1959), Louis B. Hyde Memorial Award (1960–1994),[149] Bo Schembechler Award (1995–present); winners of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten's MVP also noted:[150]
1926: Benny Friedman (also Big Ten MVP)
1927: Bennie Oosterbaan
1928: Otto Pommerening
1929: James Simrall
1930: Jack Wheeler
1931: Bill Hewitt
1932: Harry Newman (also Big Ten MVP)
1933: Herman Everhardus
1934: Gerald Ford
1935: William Renner
1936: Matt Patanelli
1937: Ralph Heikkinen
1938: Ralph Heikkinen
1939: Tom Harmon
1940: Tom Harmon (also Big Ten MVP)
1941: Reuben Kelto
1942: Albert Wistert
1943: Bob Wiese
1944: Don Lund
1945: Harold Watts
1946: Bob Chappuis
1947: Bump Elliott (also Big Ten MVP)
1948: Dominic Tomasi
1949: Dick Kempthorn
1950: Don Dufek
1951: Don Peterson
1952: Ted Topor
1953: Tony Branoff
1954: Fred Baer
1955: Terry Barr
1956: Dick Hill
1957: Jim Pace (also Big Ten MVP)
1958: Bob Ptacek
1959: Tony Rio
1960: Dennis Fitzgerald
1961: John Walker
1962: Dave Raimey
1963: Tom Keating
1964: Bob Timberlake (also Big Ten MVP)
1965: Bill Yearby
1966: Jack Clancy
1967: Ron Johnson
1968: Ron Johnson (also Big Ten MVP)
1969: Jim Mandich
1970: Henry Hill and Don Moorhead
1971: Billy Taylor
1972: Randy Logan
1973: Paul Seal
1974: Steve Strinko
1975: Gordon Bell
1976: Rob Lytle (also Big Ten MVP)
1977: Russell Davis
1978: Rick Leach (also Big Ten MVP)
1979: Ron Simpkins
1980: Anthony Carter
1981: Butch Woolfolk
1982: Anthony Carter (also Big Ten MVP)
1983: Steve Smith
1984: Mike Mallory
1985: Mike Hammerstein
1986: Jim Harbaugh (also Big Ten MVP)
1987: Jamie Morris
1988: Mark Messner
1989: Tony Boles
1990: Tripp Welborne
1991: Desmond Howard (also Big Ten MVP)
1992: Chris Hutchinson
1993: Buster Stanley
1994: Todd Collins
1995: Tim Biakabutuka
1996: Rod Payne
1997: Charles Woodson (also Big Ten MVP)
1998: Tai Streets
1999: Tom Brady
2000: Anthony Thomas
2001: Marquise Walker
2002: B. J. Askew
2003: Chris Perry (also Big Ten MVP)
2004: Braylon Edwards (also Big Ten MVP)
2005: Jason Avant
2006: David Harris and Mike Hart
2007: Mike Hart
2008: Brandon Graham
2009: Brandon Graham (also Big Ten MVP)
2010: Denard Robinson (also Big Ten MVP)
2011: Denard Robinson
2012: Jordan Kovacs
2013: Jeremy Gallon
2014: Jake Ryan
2015: Jehu Chesson
2016: Jabrill Peppers
2017: Maurice Hurst Jr.
Big Ten Conference honors
Player of the Year
1982: Anthony Carter
1986: Jim Harbaugh
Graham–George Offensive Player of the Year
1990: Jon Vaughn (coaches)
1991: Desmond Howard (coaches and media)
1992: Tyrone Wheatley (coaches and media)
2003: Chris Perry (coaches and media)
2004: Braylon Edwards (coaches and media)
2010: Denard Robinson (coaches and media)
Rimington–Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year
1991: Greg Skrepenak
1998: Jon Jansen
2000: Steve Hutchinson
2004: David Baas
2006: Jake Long
2007: Jake Long
2011: David Molk
2012: Taylor Lewan
2013: Taylor Lewan
Nagurski–Woodson Defensive Player of the Year
1997: Charles Woodson
2001: Larry Foote
2006: LaMarr Woodley
2016: Jabrill Peppers
Smith–Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year
1985: Mike Hammerstein
1988: Mark Messner
1992: Chris Hutchinson
2006: LaMarr Woodley
Thompson–Randle El Freshman of the Year
1995: Charles Woodson (coaches)
1997: Anthony Thomas (coaches and media)
2003: Steve Breaston (coaches)
2004: Mike Hart (coaches and media)
2015: Jabrill Peppers (coaches and media)
Dave McClain / Hayes–Schembechler Coach of the Year
1972: Bo Schembechler (media)
1976: Bo Schembechler (media)
1980: Bo Schembechler (media)
1982: Bo Schembechler (coaches)
1985: Bo Schembechler (media and coaches)
1989: Bo Schembechler (coaches)
1991: Gary Moeller (media and coaches)
1992: Gary Moeller (media)
2011: Brady Hoke (media and coaches)
Tatum–Woodson Defensive Back of the Year
2016: Jourdan Lewis
Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year
2016: Jabrill Peppers
Kwalick–Clark Tight End of the Year
2013: Devin Funchess
2015: Jake Butt
2016: Jake Butt
Eddleman–Fields Punter of the Year
2012: Will Hagerup
Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year
2016: Jabrill Peppers
Retired numbers
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No. Player Position Career Year retired
11 Francis Wistert
Albert Wistert
Alvin Wistert Tackle 1931–1933
1940–1942
1947–1949 1949
21 Desmond Howard Wide receiver 1989–1991 2015
47 Bennie Oosterbaan End 1925–1927 1927
48 Gerald Ford Center 1932–1934 1994
87 Ron Kramer End 1954–1956 1956
98 Tom Harmon Halfback 1938–1940 1940
Beginning in 2011, previously retired numbers of "Michigan Football Legends" were assigned to and worn by players selected by the head coach. The Legends program was discontinued in July 2015, and the numbers again permanently retired.[151][152]
Hall of Fame inductees
College Football Hall of Fame
See also: College Football Hall of Fame
Michigan inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame as of 2011.[153]
Albert Benbrook
Dave Brown
Lloyd Carr
Anthony Carter
Bob Chappuis
Fritz Crisler
Tom Curtis
Dan Dierdorf
Bump Elliott
Pete Elliott
Benny Friedman
Tom Harmon
Willie Heston
Elroy Hirsch
Desmond Howard
Ron Johnson
Harry Kipke
Ron Kramer
George Little
Rob Lytle
Jim Mandich
Johnny Maulbetsch
Reggie McKenzie
Bill Morley
David M. Nelson
Harry Newman
Bennie Oosterbaan
Merv Pregulman
Harold R. "Tubby" Raymond
Bo Schembechler
Germany Schulz
Neil Snow
Ernie Vick
Bob Westfall
Tad Wieman
Albert Wistert
Alvin Wistert
Francis Wistert
Charles Woodson
Fielding H. Yost
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Michigan inductees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as of 2019.[154]
Name Position Inducted
George Allen Coach 2002
Dan Dierdorf Tackle 1996
Len Ford Defensive end 1976
Benny Friedman Quarterback 2005
Bill Hewitt End 1971
Elroy Hirsch Halfback, End 1968
Ty Law Cornerback 2019
Tom Mack Guard 1999
Ralph Wilson Owner 2009
Rose Bowl
The Rose Bowl Hall of Fame has inducted the following Michigan players and coaches.[155]
Name Position Inducted
Bump Elliott Halfback 1989
Neil Snow End, fullback 1990
Bob Chappuis Halfback, quarterback 1992
Bo Schembechler Coach 1993
Butch Woolfolk Halfback 1998
Mel Anthony Fullback 2002
Chuck Ortmann Halfback 2008
Brian Griese Quarterback 2012
Lloyd Carr Coach 2013
Tyrone Wheatley Running back 2015
Charles Woodson[156] Cornerback 2017
Individual program records
See also: Michigan Wolverines football statistical leaders
Rushing records
Most rushing attempts, career: 1,015, Mike Hart (2004–2007)
Most rushing attempts, season: 338, Chris Perry (2003)
Most rushing attempts, game: 51, Chris Perry (November 1, 2003 at Michigan State)
Most rushing yards, career: 5,040, Mike Hart (2004–2007)
Most rushing yards, season: 1,818, Tim Biakabutuka (1995)
Most rushing yards, game: 347, Ron Johnson (November 16, 1968 vs. Wisconsin)
Most rushing touchdowns, career: 55, Anthony Thomas (1997–2000)
Most rushing touchdowns, season: 19, Ron Johnson (1968)
Most rushing touchdowns, game: 5, Ron Johnson (November 16, 1968 vs. Wisconsin)
Longest run from scrimmage: 92 yards, Butch Woolfolk (November 3, 1979 vs. Wisconsin)
Most games with at least 100 rushing yards, career: 28, Mike Hart (2004–2007)
Most games with at least 100 rushing yards, season: 10, Jamie Morris (1987)
Most games with at least 200 rushing yards, career: 5, Mike Hart (2004–2007)
Most games with at least 200 rushing yards, season: 3, Mike Hart (2004)[157]
Passing records
Most passing attempts, career: 1,387, Chad Henne (2004–2007)
Most passing attempts, season: 456, John Navarre (2003)
Most passing attempts, game: 56, Tom Brady (November 21, 1998 at Ohio State)
Most passing completions, career: 828, Chad Henne (2004–2007)
Most passing completions, season: 270, John Navarre (2003)
Most passing completions, game: 34, Tom Brady (January 1, 2000 vs. Alabama in Orange Bowl)
Most passing yards, career: 9,715, Chad Henne (2004–2007)
Most passing yards, season: 3,331, John Navarre (2003)
Most passing yards, game: 503, Devin Gardner (October 19, 2013 vs. Indiana)
Most passing touchdowns, career: 86, Chad Henne (2004–2007)
Most passing touchdowns, season: 25, Elvis Grbac (1991) and Chad Henne (2004)
Most passing touchdowns, game: 6, Jake Rudock (November 14, 2015 at Indiana)
Longest pass completion: 97 yards, Ryan Mallett to Mario Manningham (November 10, 2007 at Wisconsin)
Most games with at least 200 passing yards, career: 28, John Navarre (2000–2003)
Most games with at least 200 passing yards, season: 10, John Navarre (2003)
Most games with at least 300 passing yards, career: 5, Chad Henne (2004–2007)
Most games with at least 300 passing yards, season: 3, John Navarre (2003) and Chad Henne (2004)[158]
Receiving records
Most receptions, career: 252, Braylon Edwards (2001–2004)
Most receptions, season: 97, Braylon Edwards (2004)
Most receptions, game: 15, twice by Marquise Walker (September 8, 2001 at Washington and November 24, 2001 vs. Ohio State)
Most receiving yards, career: 3,541, Braylon Edwards (2001–2004)
Most receiving yards, season: 1,373, Jeremy Gallon (2013)
Most receiving yards, game: 369, Jeremy Gallon (October 19, 2013 vs. Indiana) (also a Big Ten Conference record)
Most touchdown receptions, career: 39, Braylon Edwards (2001–2004) (also a Big Ten Conference record)[159]
Most touchdown receptions, season: 19, Desmond Howard (1991) (also a Big Ten Conference record)[160]
Most touchdown receptions, game: 4, Derrick Alexander (October 24, 1992 vs. Minnesota)
Longest pass reception: 97 yards, Mario Manningham from Ryan Mallett (November 10, 2007 at Wisconsin)
Most games with at least 100 receiving yards, career: 17, Braylon Edwards (2001–2004)
Most games with at least 100 receiving yards, season: 7, Braylon Edwards (2004) and Mario Manningham (2007)[161]
Kickoff return records
Most kickoff returns, career: 81, Steve Breaston (2003–2006)
Most kickoff returns, season: 39, Darryl Stonum (2009)
Most kickoff returns, game: 8, Todd Howard (January 1, 2002 vs. Tennessee in Florida Citrus Bowl)
Most kickoff return yards, career: 1,993, Steve Breaston (2003–2006)
Most kickoff return yards, season: 1,001, Darryl Stonum (2009)
Most kickoff return yards, game: 221, Steve Breaston (January 1, 2005 vs. Texas in Rose Bowl)
Most kickoff return touchdowns, career: 2, Desmond Howard (1989–1991)
Longest kickoff return: 100 yards, Seth Smith (October 29, 1994 vs. Wisconsin)[162]
Punt return records
Most punt returns, career: 127, Steve Breaston (2003–2006) (also a Big Ten Conference record)[163]
Most punt returns, season: 45, Steve Breaston (2003)
Most punt returns, game: 9, Steve Breaston (September 23, 2006 vs. Wisconsin)
Most punt return yards, career: 1,599, Steve Breaston (2003–2006) (also a Big Ten Conference record)[163]
Most punt return yards, season: 619, Steve Breaston (2003)
Most punt return yards, game: 140, George Hoey (October 28, 1967 at Minnesota)
Most punt return touchdowns, career: 4, Gene Derricotte (1944–1948), Derrick Alexander (1989–1993), and Steve Breaston (2003–2006)
Longest punt return: 93 yards, Desmond Howard (November 23, 1991 vs. Ohio State)[164]
Alumni currently in the NFL
Updated as of September 17, 2018.[165]
Ben Braden: New York Jets
Tom Brady: New England Patriots
Jake Butt: Denver Broncos
Taco Charlton: Dallas Cowboys
Jehu Chesson: Washington Redskins
Frank Clark: Seattle Seahawks
Jeremy Clark: New York Jets
Mason Cole: Arizona Cardinals
Amara Darboh: Seattle Seahawks
Devin Funchess: Carolina Panthers
Ben Gedeon: Minnesota Vikings
Graham Glasgow: Detroit Lions
Ryan Glasgow: Cincinnati Bengals
Brandon Graham: Philadelphia Eagles
Leon Hall: Oakland Raiders
Chad Henne: Kansas City Chiefs
Willie Henry: Baltimore Ravens
Delano Hill: Seattle Seahawks
Khalid Hill: Seattle Seahawks
Maurice Hurst Jr.: Oakland Raiders
Kyle Kalis: Cleveland Browns
Joe Kerridge: Green Bay Packers
Taylor Lewan: Tennessee Titans
Jourdan Lewis: Dallas Cowboys
Erik Magnuson: San Francisco 49ers
Patrick Omameh: New York Giants
Jabrill Peppers: Cleveland Browns
Jake Rudock: Detroit Lions
Jake Ryan: Green Bay Packers
Michael Schofield: Los Angeles Chargers
Dymonte Thomas: Denver Broncos
Matt Wile: Minnesota Vikings
Jarrod Wilson: Jacksonville Jaguars
Chris Wormley: Baltimore Ravens
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of January 15, 2019.[166]
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
Middle Tennessee at Washington Western Michigan Colorado State at UCLA Texas at Oklahoma Oklahoma at Texas
Army Ball State Washington UCLA Bowling Green
Notre Dame Arkansas State Northern Illinois
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisional Collegiate Water Polo Association. Team colors are maize and blue, though these are different shades of "maize" and "blue" than those used by the university at large.[2] The winged helmet is a recognized icon of Michigan Athletics.[3]
In 13 of the past 20 years (through 2016–17), Michigan has finished in the top five of the NACDA Directors' Cup, a list compiled by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics that charts institutions' overall success in college sports. UM has finished in the top ten of the Directors' Cup standings in sixteen of the award's twenty-two seasons.
Contents
1 Sports sponsored
1.1 Baseball
1.2 Basketball
1.2.1 Men's basketball
1.2.2 Women's basketball
1.3 Cross country
1.4 Football
1.4.1 Rivalries
1.5 Field hockey
1.6 Golf
1.6.1 Men's golf
1.6.2 Women's golf
1.7 Gymnastics
1.7.1 Men's gymnastics
1.7.2 Women's gymnastics
1.8 Ice hockey
1.9 Lacrosse
1.9.1 Women's Lacrosse
1.9.2 Men's lacrosse
1.10 Women's rowing
1.11 Soccer
1.11.1 Men's soccer
1.11.2 Women's soccer
1.12 Softball
1.13 Swimming and diving
1.13.1 Men's swimming and diving
1.13.2 Women's swimming and diving
1.14 Tennis
1.14.1 Men's tennis
1.14.2 Women's tennis
1.15 Track and field
1.15.1 Men's track and field
1.15.2 Women's track and field
1.16 Women's volleyball
1.17 Women's water polo
1.18 Wrestling
2 Sponsorship
3 Varsity club sports
4 Club sports
4.1 Rugby
5 Athletic facilities
5.1 Other facilities
6 Championships
6.1 NCAA team championships
6.2 Other national team championships
7 NCAA Division I Director's Cup
8 Olympians
9 Athletic directors
10 Mascot
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
Sports sponsored
Men's sports Women's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross country Field hockey
Football Golf
Golf Gymnastics
Gymnastics Lacrosse
Ice hockey Rowing
Lacrosse Soccer
Soccer Softball
Swimming & diving Swimming & diving
Tennis Tennis
Track & field† Track & field†
Wrestling Volleyball
Water polo
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.
The University of Michigan Athletic Department sponsors teams in 14 men's and 15 women's NCAA sanctioned sports.
Baseball
Main article: Michigan Wolverines baseball
The men's baseball team won national championships in 1953 and 1962 and has sent 138 players to the major leagues.[4][5] The current coach of the Michigan Wolverines is Erik Bakich, who came to the University of Michigan after the 2012 season when Rich Maloney stepped down. Michigan has won 35 conference championships, made 22 NCAA Tournament appearances and won those 2 national titles. For 13 seasons from 1990 to 2002, Michigan won a lone Big Ten title in 1997 and made just one NCAA appearance in 1999. In 2015, Coach Bakich led the program to its first NCAA tournament berth since 2008 after needing to win the Big Ten Tournament to qualify.
Basketball
Men's basketball
Main article: Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
Retired basketball jerseys
Number Player Years
22 Bill Buntin 1963–1965
33 Cazzie Russell 1964–1966
35 Phil Hubbard 1975–1979
41 Glen Rice 1986–1989
45 Rudy Tomjanovich 1967–1970
The men's basketball team plays its games at Crisler Center. The Wolverines have won 14 Big Ten regular season titles, as well as the inaugural Big Ten Tournament in 1998, which it later forfeited due to NCAA violations. The team has appeared in the NCAA Final Four on eight occasions (1964, 1965, 1976, 1989, 1992*, 1993*, 2013, 2018) and won the National Championship in 1989 under Steve Fisher. The program later vacated its 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances due to NCAA violations. Other notable players who played for Michigan include Roy Tarpley, Loy Vaught, Gary Grant, Terry Mills, Glen Rice, Jalen Rose, Rumeal Robinson, Rickey Green, Phil Hubbard, Jamal Crawford, Juwan Howard, Chris Webber, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson, Cazzie Russell, Daniel Horton, Campy Russell, and Mark Hughes.
During the 1990s, the program became involved in a scandal involving payments from a booster named Ed Martin to four players: Chris Webber, Maurice Taylor, Robert Traylor, and Louis Bullock. The scandal ultimately resulted in four years' probation and a self-imposed ban from postseason play in the 2002–03 season. UM also voluntarily vacated regular season wins and NCAA tournament games from selected past seasons. Vacating the results of 113 games won while the four players were eligible, including the 1992 and 1993 Final Fours, the entire 1992–93 season, and all seasons from fall 1995 through spring 1999. After the scandal, Michigan men's basketball would then go 10 years without making the NCAA tournament from 1999–2008.[6] They would eventually end the drought in 2009 under current head coach John Beilein. In 2013, the program would reach its first Final Four in 20 years before falling to Louisville in the national championship, 82–76. The program reached another Final Four in 2018, its second under Beilein.
Women's basketball
Main article: Michigan Wolverines women's basketball
Michigan team with championship trophy at the 2011 Paradise Jam Tournament
Michigan traveled to St. Thomas for the Paradise Jam Tournament over Thanksgiving weekend in 2011. They took on Prairie View A&M in their first game on Thanksgiving Day, and won 59–53.[7] In their second game, they faced Washington State and won easily, 69–39.[8] On the final day of the tournament, they played Marquette, and won 71–51, to win the 2011 Paradise Jam (Reef Division) Championship. Jenny Ryan had a double-double, with 13 points and ten rebounds, to help Michigan to a 7–0 record on the year.[9][10]
The women's basketball team is coached by Kim Barnes Arico, who became the head coach in 2012. Formerly the head coach of the St. John's Red Storm, Arico was named the Big East Conference Coach of the Year for 2012.[11]
Cross country
The men's and women's cross country teams have been nationally renowned since 1974 when Ron Warhurst started coaching the men, and more recently as alum Mike McGuire took on the women's team in 1991. The women's team has qualified for the NCAA championships every year but two since 1988, finishing 2nd in 1994, and winning five consecutive Big Ten titles from 2002 to 2006.[12] The men's team has qualified for the NCAA 24 times in the last 34 years, with a highest finish of 4th. Michigan men have won seven Big Ten titles in that period.
Football
Main article: Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Marching Band salutes the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team as it enters the field at Michigan Stadium.
The Wolverines have won a record 929 games and have the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history. Michigan won the inaugural Rose Bowl in 1902, the first college bowl game ever played. The Wolverine football program has claimed 11 national titles.[13]
Michigan's 11 national championships have come under the direction of five coaches. The first six were garnered by the team's first coaching superstar, Fielding H. Yost. Yost directed his "Point-a-Minute" teams to four consecutive national titles from 1901 to 1904, amassing a record of 41–0–1. Yost also led Michigan to national titles in 1918 and 1923. Yost was instrumental in the creation of Michigan Stadium and designed it to permit its expansion to expand to a capacity of over 150,000. Yost's legacy also lives on with Yost Ice Arena, where Michigan's men's ice hockey team plays their home games. Michigan football has won five more national titles since Yost permanently retired in 1926. The Wolverines won back-to-back titles under Harry Kipke in 1932 and 1933 and two more consecutive championships under Fritz Crisler and Bennie Oosterbaan in 1947 and 1948. Michigan won its most recent national title under Lloyd Carr in 1997.
Michigan's famous football coaches include: Yost, who came to Michigan from Stanford University in 1901, Fritz Crisler, who guided Michigan to a pair of Big Ten Conference championships and the 1947 national title, has his name carried by the home of Michigan men's basketball team, Bo Schembechler won 13 Big Ten titles in his 21 seasons as head coach between 1969 and 1989, the first in 1969 when he beat his friend and mentor Woody Hayes, beginning of "The Ten Year War" era of the Michigan – Ohio State football rivalry, Lloyd Carr won five Big Ten titles in his 13 seasons at the helm and posted a winning percentage of .753. His winning percentage of .779 in conference play trails only that of Schembechler in Michigan history, Rich Rodriguez succeeded Carr following his retirement in 2007. Rodriguez coached the Wolverines through the 2010 season, compiling a record of 15–22.
Rivalries
See also: Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry
A football game at Michigan Stadium
Heisman Trophy winners
Year Player
1940 Tom Harmon
1991 Desmond Howard
1997 Charles Woodson
Michigan has a major rivalry with Ohio State, considered one of the fiercest rivalries in American sports. In a pair of ESPN fan polls, in 2000 and 2003, the Michigan–Ohio State series was voted the greatest rivalry in sports in America.[14] Michigan's meeting with Ohio State is almost always the last game of the two schools' regular seasons and has provided many memorable contests, such as the "Snow Bowl" of 1950. The game has frequently decided the Big Ten Champion. Michigan leads the series 58–46–6. The contest on November 18, 2006 marked the first time ever these teams had been ranked No. 1 and No. 2 going into the game, and the first time they were both undefeated since 1973. The 2007 college football match-up between Ohio State and Michigan was predicted to be the No. 2 college football game to watch in 2007 by SI.com's "Top 20 Games To Watch in 2007" list.[15]
Michigan has an intrastate rival in Michigan State; the schools' football teams compete for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Michigan leads the series 68–34–5.
Michigan also enjoys a spirited rivalry with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Michigan leads the series 24–17–1. The two schools are among the top college football programs in all-time wins (Michigan first, Notre Dame third) and winning percentage (Michigan first, Notre Dame second) in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A), so it is perhaps fitting that when college football was in its infancy, students from the University of Michigan traveled to South Bend to teach the game to students there.
The Wolverines also have a tradition-rich history with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The two football teams compete for the Little Brown Jug, a five-gallon jug with the respective schools' "M"s on either side and the scores of previous games down the middle. The Little Brown Jug was the first trophy played for between college football teams. Through 2017, Michigan leads the Brown Jug series 75–25–3.
Field hockey
Main article: Michigan Wolverines field hockey
The 2010 Michigan field hockey team in action at Penn State
Women's field hockey became a varsity sport at Michigan in 1973.[16] The Wolverines field hockey team won the 2001 NCAA title, which was the school's first national title in a women's team sport.[17] Marcia Pankratz served as the head coach of the program from 1996 to 2004 and returned to the position in 2009.[16] The Wolverines have won a total of eight Big Ten regular season titles and five Big Ten tournaments.[16]
Golf
Men's golf
Men's golf has been a varsity sport at Michigan since 1919. The team's first coach was elocution and oratory professor Thomas Trueblood who served as coach from 1920–1935. Trueblood led the Michigan golf team to consecutive national championships in 1934 and 1935. Two coaches, Bert Katzenmeyer (1947–1968) and Jim Carras (1982–2002), have had tenures of at least 20 years with the program. Andrew Sapp has been the coach since 2002. In 2009, Sapp led the team to its best record in more than 50 years with 6th-place finish at the NCAA championship finals.[18] Chris Whitten became head coach in 2011 and led the team to a runner-up finish in 2013. Three Michigan golfers have won the individual intercollegiate golf championships: Johnny Fischer (1932), Chuck Kocsis (1936), and Dave Barclay (1947).[19] The team has won the Big Ten Conference Championship 12 times: 1932–36, 1942–44, 1946–47, 1949, and 1952.
Women's golf
Women's golf has been a varsity sport at Michigan since 1976. Cheryl Stacy, a former All-American golfer for Ohio State, took over as the team's head coach in 2009.[20] In the fall of 2009, Stacy signed a trio of highly rated high school golfers from Ohio, Florida and Georgia to national letters of intent for the 2010–11 academic year.[21]
Gymnastics
Men's gymnastics
Main article: Michigan Wolverines men's gymnastics
The Michigan men's gymnastics team has won 6 NCAA championships, 17 Big Ten championships and have been invited to 32 NCAA tournaments. Newt Loken was the head coach for 36 years from 1948–1983, during which time he coached the Wolverines to two NCAA team gymnastics championships, two NCAA team trampoline championships, and 21 NCAA individual event championships.[22][23] Since 1999, head coach Kurt Golder has led Michigan to national championships in 1999, 2010, 2013, 2014 and the Super Six at the NCAA tournament in 13 of the last 14 seasons.
Until 1969, men's trampoline was one of the events that comprised the NCAA gymnastics championships. At that time, the event was removed in order to conform to the international gymnastics itinerary. The NCAA then bestowed a separate national title in trampoline for two years, both won by Michigan.[24][25]
Women's gymnastics
Main article: Michigan Wolverines women's gymnastics
Women's gymnastics has been a varsity sport at Michigan since 1976. Bev Plocki has been the head coach of the women's gymnastics team since 1990. Under Plocki's leadership, the Wolverines have won 16 Big Ten championships, advanced to 16 consecutive NCAA tournaments (1993–2008) and had seven seasons in which they finished in the Top 5 at the NCAA tournament.
Ice hockey
Main article: Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey
Hoby Baker Award winners
Year Player
2008 Kevin Porter
1997 Brendan Morrison
The Wolverines ice hockey team, which was a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association until 2013 and is now a member of the Big Ten Conference, plays its home contests at Yost Ice Arena. The hockey team was coached by Red Berenson, a former UM player and is currently coached by Mel Pearson. Altogether, the program has won nine NCAA national championships (1948, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1964, 1996, 1998), which is also an NCAA record. In 2011, the team was invited to the NCAA tournament for a record 21st year in a row. In 2011, Michigan reached the national semi-finals (now referred to as the "Frozen Four") for an unmatched 24th time.
Vic Heyliger led Michigan to a record six NCAA titles, including the first one in college hockey history in 1948. Heyliger, who played for the Wolverines from 1935–37, also won national titles as Michigan coach in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955 and 1956. He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974, in recognition of his lifetime achievement. Heyliger is considered instrumental in getting the NCAA Tournament off the ground. Following the 1946–47 season, Heyliger wrote to each of the college coaches around the country to see if they would be interested in creating a national tournament. They obliged and the inaugural four-team NCAA tournament began the following season in 1948. Heyliger was 228–61–13 as head coach at Michigan, and his .776 winning percentage is the best at the school. His only losing season was his first year, 3–6 in 1944–45.
In 1980, Heyliger was inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor. The Vic Heyliger Trophy has been given out at the end of each season by the Michigan hockey team to recognize its most outstanding defenseman.
Lacrosse
Women's Lacrosse
Main article: Michigan Wolverines women's lacrosse
Men's lacrosse
Main article: Michigan Wolverines men's lacrosse
The Michigan men's lacrosse team in action against Ohio State
The Michigan men's lacrosse team is one of the oldest collegiate lacrosse programs in the midwest, having been founded in 1940,[26] the program is also the most successful athletic program at Michigan, with an .830 all-time win percentage. The program was elevated from varsity-club status to NCAA status by the university in May 2011 and began NCAA Division I competition in 2012.[27] The Wolverines previously competed at the Division I level of the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA), in the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (CCLA). In 2008 the team became the first MCLA team to complete a season undefeated, finishing 20–0 and winning their first national championship at Texas Stadium. The feat was repeated in 2009 with another 20–0 season and earned their second national championship with a 12–11 victory over Chapman University at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado. In 2010, they won their third MCLA national championship in a row, defeating Arizona State University 12–11 in Denver.
In 2008 Michigan faceoff specialist Brekan Kohlitz became the first MCLA player ever selected in the Major League Lacrosse draft when he was taken in the 5th round by the Washington Bayhawks.
Michigan head coach John Paul is in his 13th year at his alma mater and has an overall record of 205–42 which includes 10 conference titles in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Michigan Lacrosse was the MCLA Division I National Champions in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
Women's rowing
Women's rowing has been a varsity at sport at Michigan since 1996. Mark Rothstein has been the team's coach for 18 years – since it was a club sport in 1991. Rothstein led the rowing program "from an over-achieving club squad to one of the nation's top-notch varsity rowing programs."[28] The team has placed in the Top 10 at the NCAA tournament ten times in the past 12 years. The team's best seasons came in 2000–01 and 2011–12 with Big Ten championships and second-place finishes in the NCAA tournament.[29]
The Michigan men's soccer team against Loyola in 2013
Soccer
Men's soccer
Main article: Michigan Wolverines men's soccer
Further information: Big Bear Trophy
The men's soccer team plays Michigan State annually for the rights to the Big Bear Trophy, a wooden sculpture purchased by Michigan head coach Steve Burns in 2000.[30] Recently, the men's soccer team won the 2010 Big Ten Tournament Championship, their first in program history, and advanced to the College Cup, also their first in program history.
The Michigan women's soccer team against Oakland in 2013
Women's soccer
Main article: Michigan Wolverines women's soccer
The women's soccer team has played at the varsity level since 1994 and has twice won the Big Ten conference tournament, in 1997 and 1999.[31] It has also reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship once, in 2002 during the tenure of Debbie Rademacher, who coached the team from its inception until 2007.[31] The team is currently coached by Jennifer Klein.[32]
Softball
Main article: Michigan Wolverines softball
The Michigan softball team playing against Northwestern in 2013
Carol Hutchins has been the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines softball team since 1985. with a career record of 1274–435–4 (.745 winning percentage), Hutchins has more wins than any other coach in the history of the university—in both men's and women's athletics. Hutchins' teams have won 16 Big Ten championships and appeared in 21 NCAA tournaments. In June 2005, the team won the Division 1 NCAA Softball Championship, defeating two-time defending champion and perennial softball power UCLA two games to one. The decisive game was won with a Samantha Findlay walk-off home run in the 10th inning producing a 4–1 final. Michigan is the first school east of the Mississippi River to win the Women's College World Series since it was first done in 1976 (Carol Hutchins played shortstop on that team, Michigan State). The Wolverines have appeared in twelve Women's College World Series in 1982, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2015.[33]
Swimming and diving
Main article: Michigan Wolverines swimming and diving
Men's swimming and diving
Men's swimming and diving has been a varsity sport at Michigan since 1921.[34] With 19 NCAA national championships[25][35] (7 were unofficial),[36] including the 2013 NCAA championship, the Michigan men's swimming and diving team has won more national championships than any other varsity sport in the history of the university. In addition to its 19 national championships, the team has finished in the Top 5 nationally 48 times.[34] The team's swimmers have also won 145 individual NCAA championships.[37] Three head coaches have led the squad for a combined 77 years: Matt Mann (1925–54), Gus Stager (1954–82) and Jon Urbanchek (1982–2004).[38] Michigan swimmers and divers inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame include Mike Barrowman, Dick Degener, Tom Dolan, Taylor Drysdale, Bruce Harlan, Harry Holiday, Dick Kimball, Carl Robie, and Bob Webster.[39] Mike Bottom took over as the team's head coach in 2008. In his first season as the team's head coach, Bottom led the Wolverines to a Big Ten championship and a 7th-place finish at the NCAA championship.[40] In 2013, Bottom won the program's 12th official NCAA national championship (19th overall) and its first since 1995.
Women's swimming and diving
Women's swimming and diving has been a varsity sport at Michigan since 1974. The team has won 19 Big Ten championships, including 12 consecutive championships from 1986–1998. The team has also finished in the Top 10 teams nationally 17 times. The team's best finish came in the 1994–95 season with a second-place finish in the national tournament.[41] The team has produced several national individual champions, including Julie Bachman (one-meter and three-meter diving, 1978), Emily Brunemann (1,650-yard freestyle, 2008), Ann Colloton (200-yard backstroke, 1989), Mary Fischbach (one-meter and three-meter diving, 1988), Mindy Gehrs (400-yard individual medley, 1993), Lara Hooiveld (100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke, 1993), Alecia Humphrey (100-yard backstroke, 1994; 200-yard backstroke 1994 and 1995), Sue Cahill (400-yard individual medley, 1982), and Chris Seufert (one-meter and three-meter diving, 1977).[42] Jim Richardson is in his 25th season as the head coach of the women's swimming and diving team.[43]
Tennis
Men's tennis
Michigan's men's tennis team was formed in 1893. Between 1948 and 1999, the team had two head coaches. William Murphy was the coach from 1948–69 and led the Wolverines to 11 Big Ten championships and the NCAA championship in 1956–57. Brian Eisner was the coach from 1969–99 and led the team to 16 Big Ten championships and 21 NCAA tournament appearances. Bruce Berque has been the head coach since 2004 and has led the team to four consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament.[44]
Women's tennis
Women's tennis was established as a varsity sport in 1973. Bitsy Ritt was the head coach for 22 years from 1984–2006 and led the team to eight NCAA tournament berths in eight of her last 11 years as head coach. The current head coach is Ronni Bernstein who has led the team to NCAA tournament berths in her first two years with the program.[45]
Track and field
Men's track and field
Main article: Michigan Wolverines men's track and field
The men's track and field team has won 57 Big Ten men's team titles and one NCAA team championship.[46] Notable alumni include Ralph Craig, winner of two gold medals at the 1912 Olympics, Brian Diemer, 1984 Summer Olympics bronze medalist in the steeplechase, Bill Donakowski, U.S. marathon champion in 1986, Archie Hahn, a winner of four Olympic gold medals at the 1904 and 1906 Olympics, DeHart Hubbard, the first African-American to win an individual Olympic gold medal and a former world record holder in the long jump, Greg Meyer, 1983 Boston Marathon winner, Ralph Rose, winner of 3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medals in three Olympic games, Kevin Sullivan, Canadian 1500 meter record holder, Eddie Tolan, winner of two gold medals and a former world record holder in the 100-yard dash, Alan Webb, U.S. mile record holder, and Nick Willis, a four-time Olympian and a two-time Olympic medallist, with a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and a bronze at the summer Rio Olympics in 2016.
Women's track and field
Women's track and field was established as a varsity sport in 1978. The team has won 15 Big Ten titles (eight outdoor and seven indoor). James Henry has been the head coach since 1984. The Wolverines have had their strongest finishes in the NCAA tournament in recent years—finishing third in the 2007 outdoor tournament and third in the 2008 indoor tournament.[47] Notable alumna include Lisa Larsen Weidenbach Rainsberger, who won the Boston and Chicago Marathons.[48]
The Michigan volleyball team playing against Oregon in 2013
Women's volleyball
Main article: Michigan Wolverines women's volleyball
The women's volleyball program at the University of Michigan began in 1973. Mark Rosen has been the head coach since 1999 and has led the team to the NCAA Tournament in 12 of his 14 years as head coach.
Women's water polo
Women's water polo became a varsity sport at the University of Michigan in 2001. In its first nine years, the program has placed first in the conference nine times, won eight NCAA division titles and four NCAA eastern titles, and appeared four times in the NCAA national tournament. The Wolverines finished in the Top 5 at the national tournament in 2002 and 2009.
In the spring of 2014, the Athletic Department hired Dr. Marcelo Leonardi as their new head coach. Dr. Marcelo Leonardi is in his first season as head coach for the Michigan women's water polo team. Leonardi took over the Michigan women's water polo program after spending the past five seasons as the women's water polo coach at California State University in Northridge. He also serves as the national technical director for the women's Olympic Development Program (ODP) associated with the organization since 2013. Caitlin Haskell, the assistant coach, played varsity water polo at University of California, Irvine. The Wolverines enter their 15th season in 2015.[49][50] Former Olympic Gold Medalist Betsey Armstrong was hired as the assistant coach in 2012.[51]
1922 Michigan wrestling team
Wrestling
Main article: Michigan Wolverines Wrestling
Wrestling has been a varsity sport at Michigan since 1921. The Wolverines have finished in the Top 5 in the NCAA tournament 16 times.[citation needed] Home dual meets and tournaments take place at Cliff Keen Arena, dedicated and named after longtime wrestling coach Cliff Keen, who coached the team from 1925 until 1970 and led the Wolverines wrestling team to 13 Big Ten Conference championships. The Michigan wrestling team has produced 175 individual NCAA All-Americans dating back to 1928, has 22 individual NCAA Championships for the university, and made two winners of the NCAA Most Outstanding Wrestler Award (1940, 1978).[52]
A few notable former Wolverine wrestlers include Olympic gold medalist Steve Fraser, 1978 NCAA Most Outstanding Wrestler Mark Churella, professional wrestlers The Steiner Brothers and 2006 Greco-Roman World Wrestling Champion Joe Warren, currently a mixed martial artist in Bellator MMA.
Sponsorship
Michigan logo and the jumpman logo at the Nike, Inc. flagship store on the Magnificent Mile during the week before the opening game for the 2016 Michigan Wolverines football team.
Michigan Athletics announced in July 2015 that it would switch from sponsorship by Adidas to Nike. The deal at the time had an estimated value of $169 million and was described as "the richest apparel deal in intercollegiate athletics".[53][54] In April 2016, the University announced the signing of an 11-year $127.12 million contract for 31 Michigan sports teams, going into effect on August 1.[55] With the agreement, Michigan Wolverines football became the first football program to wear Jordan Brand attire accompanied by the jumpman logo.[56][57] Nike identifies the yellow color in the new uniforms as "Amarillo" rather than the traditional "Maize".[58]
Varsity club sports
In 2000, athletic director Bill Martin announced the creation of a special level for sports at Michigan called Varsity Club status. The new system was established to recognize and increase support for club sports teams that have reached a level of budget, organization and competition that is similar to varsity levels. Varsity club squads are not necessarily closer to being elevated to full varsity status, and will remain for the time being primarily self-funded and administered through the Department of Recreational Sports. However, the designation will give these teams a closer relationship to the U-M athletic department.[59] The Varsity Club status has proven to be a launching pad for sports to eventually become varsity sports at Michigan. In May 2011, Men's and Women's Lacrosse were officially granted varsity status. Men's Lacrosse began their first season of NCAA competition in 2012 while the Women's program will begin varsity competition in 2014.
Current varsity club sports:
Men's rowing
Women's synchronized skating
Women's synchronized swimming
See also Gregg Hartsuff, head coach of the University of Michigan's men's rowing team.
Club sports
The Club Sports Program at the University of Michigan, administered by the Department of Recreational Sports, comprises 35 club sports. Each club sport is a student-led organization composed primarily of students, faculty, and staff. Each club is formed, developed, governed, and administered by the student membership of that particular club, working with the Club Sports Program staff.
The club sports programs include:
Alpine skiing
Baseball
Boxing – Men
Boxing – Women
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Cycling
Dance
Fencing
Field Hockey
Gymnastics
Ice Hockey – Men
Ice Hockey – Women
Lacrosse – Women
Rifle
Roller Hockey
Rugby – Men
Rugby – Women
Running
Sailing
Shotokan
Soccer – Men
Soccer – Women
Softball
Table Tennis
Tae Kwon Do
Tennis
Triathlon
Ultimate Frisbee – Men
Ultimate Frisbee – Women
Volleyball – Men
Volleyball – Women
Water Polo – Men
Water Polo – Women
Waterski
Wrestling
Rugby
Main article: Michigan Wolverines men's rugby
The University of Michigan Rugby Football Club plays college rugby in the Big Ten Universities conference of Division 1-A against its traditional rivals such as Michigan State and Ohio State. The Michigan rugby club was formed in 1959, although rugby at Michigan dates back to at least 1890 before fading from campus.[60] Michigan rugby is led by head coach Brandon Sparks.[61] Michigan reached the 2013 Big Ten championship match, where they lost to Indiana 58–38.[62] Michigan played in the 2014 Collegiate Rugby Championship, notching some upset wins to reach the quarterfinals in a tournament broadcast live on NBC from PPL Park in Philadelphia. Michigan returned to the 2015 Collegiate Rugby Championship, where they notched wins against UCLA and Texas to again reach the quarterfinals.[63][64]
Athletic facilities
[65]
Facility Tenant Capacity Constructed Notes
Other facilities
Facility Sport Constructed Notes
Championships
NCAA team championships
Michigan has won 36 NCAA team titles.[70]
Men's (34)
Baseball (2): 1953, 1962
Basketball (1): 1989
Gymnastics (6): 1963, 1970, 1999, 2010, 2013, 2014
Ice Hockey (9): 1948, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1964, 1996, 1998
Swimming (12): 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1995, 2013
Tennis (1): 1957
Outdoor Track & Field (1): 1923
Trampoline (2): 1969, 1970
Women's (2)
Field Hockey (1): 2001
Softball (1): 2005
See also:
List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships
Big Ten Conference NCAA national team championships
Other national team championships
Below are the 20 national team titles that were not bestowed by the NCAA[71] (although 7 were unofficial NCAA championships):
Men’s
Football (11): 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997
Swimming (7): 1927,[72] 1928,[73] 1931,[74] 1932,[75] 1934,[76] 1935,[77] 1936[78]
Golf (2): 1934,[79] 1935[80]
UM's official NCAA Division I national championships have come from 10 different sports – this broad-based success matches the University of Texas for fourth place in the NCAA record book. Only UCLA and Stanford, each with titles in 16 varying sports, and USC in 15, have more diverse championship histories than the Wolverines.
University of Michigan teams have also been national runners-up 38 times in 13 different sports: men's basketball (6), women's cross country (1), women's field hockey (1), men's golf (3), men's gymnastics (2), women's gymnastics (2), men's ice hockey (3), women's rowing (2), softball (1), men's swimming and diving (10), women's swimming and diving (1), men's outdoor track and field (1), and wrestling (5).[81]
See also:
List of Big Ten Conference National Championships
List of NCAA schools with the most Division I national championships
NCAA Division I Director's Cup
Main article: NACDA Directors' Cup
In the NCAA Division I Director's Cup (renamed Learfield Sports Directors' Cup), Michigan has ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten rankings in 13 out of the last 25 years ending in 2017–18; the university has ranked in the top 5 nationally a total of 12 years during that 25-year span.
Year Rank: National Rank: Big Ten
Olympians
Through the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, 204 UM students and coaches had participated in the Olympics, winning medals in every Summer Olympics except 1896, and winning gold medals in all but four Olympiads. Through the year 2016, UM students have won a total of 151 Olympic medals: 72 Gold,39 Silver, and 40 Bronze.[82]
Last First Year Sport Event Medal Country
Johnson Jack 2010 hockey silver USA
Davis/White Meryl/Charlie 2014 skating Ice Dancing gold USA
Davis/White Meryl/Charlie 2010 skating Ice Dancing silver USA
Willis Nick 2008 track 1500m silver New Zealand
Willis Nick 2016 track 1500m bronze New Zealand
Vanderkaay Peter 2008 swimming 4x200M Free relay gold USA
Vanderkaay Peter 2008 swimming 200M Freestyle bronze USA
Jacobson Sada 2008 fencing Team Sabre bronze USA
Jacobson Sada 2008 fencing Individual Sabre silver USA
Armstrong Betsey 2008 water polo Goalie silver USA
Jacobson Sada 2004 fencing Individual Sabre bronze USA
Arsenault Samantha 2000 swimming 800 m freestyle relay gold USA
Barrowman Mike 1992 swimming 200 m breaststroke gold USA
Barton Greg 1984 kayaking 1000 m single bronze USA
Barton Greg 1988 kayaking 1000 m single gold USA
Barton Greg 1988 kayaking 1000 m double gold USA
Barton Greg 1992 kayaking 1000 m single bronze USA
Bernard Kent 1964 track 4 × 100 m relay bronze Tri.-Tobago
Boggs Phil 1976 diving 3 meter gold USA
Booker James 1924 track pole vault bronze USA
Borges Gustavo 1992 swimming 100 m freestyle silver Brazil
Borges Gustavo 1996 swimming 100 m freestyle bronze Brazil
Borges Gustavo 1996 swimming 200 m freestyle silver Brazil
Borges Gustavo 2000 swimming 100 m freestyle bronze Brazil
Brost Todd 1992 hockey silver Canada
Brundage Jennifer 2000 softball gold USA
Christy Jim 1932 swimming 1500 m freestyle bronze USA
Clawson John 1968 basketball gold USA
Coe William 1904 track shot put silver USA
Corson Marilyn 1968 swimming 400 m freestyle relay bronze USA
Craig Ralph 1912 track 100 meters gold USA
Craig Ralph 1912 track 200 meters gold USA
Darnton William 1960 swimming 400 m medley relay gold USA
Davies John 1952 swimming 200 m breaststroke gold Australia
Degener Richard 1932 diving springboard bronze USA
Degener Richard 1936 diving springboard gold USA
Diemer Brian 1984 track 3000 m steeplechase bronze USA
Doherty Ken 1928 track decathlon bronze USA
Dolan Tom 1996 swimming 400 m ind. medley gold USA
Dolan Tom 2000 swimming 400 m ind. medley gold USA
Dolan Tom 2000 swimming 200 m ind. medley silver USA
Downie Gordon 1976 swimming 800 m freestyle relay bronze Great Britain
Duenkel Ginny 1964 swimming 100 m freestyle bronze USA
Duenkel Ginny 1964 swimming 400 m backstroke gold USA
Dvorak Charles 1904 track pole vault gold USA
Dvorak John 1900 track pole vault silver USA
Fraser Steve 1984 wrestling Greco-Roman gold USA
Gaxiola Alvaro 1968 diving platform silver Mexico
Gillanders Dave 1960 swimming 200 m butterfly bronze USA
Gillanders Dave 1960 swimming 400 m medley relay gold USA
Gorski Mark 1984 cycling 1000 m sprint gold USA
Hagelin Carl 2014 hockey Left Wing silver Sweden
Hahn Archie 1904 track 60 meters gold USA
Hahn Archie 1904 track 100 meters gold USA
Hahn Archie 1904 track 200 meters gold USA
Hahn Archie 1906 track 100 meters gold USA
Handy H. J. "Jam" 1904 swimming 440 yd (400 m) breaststroke bronze USA
Handy H. J. "Jam" 1924 water polo bronze USA
Hanley Dick 1956 swimming 800 m freestyle relay silver USA
Harlan Bruce 1948 diving 3 meter bronze USA
Harlan Bruce 1948 diving platform silver USA
Harlock Dave 1994 hockey silver Canada
Hayes Howard 1900 track 800 meters silver USA
Herland Doug 1984 rowing pairs with coxswain bronze USA
Hubbard Phil 1976 basketball gold USA
Hubbard William DeHart 1924 track long jump gold USA
Ikola Willard 1956 hockey silver USA
Garrells John 1908 track shot put bronze USA
Garrells John 1908 track 110 meter hurdles silver USA
Johnson Carl 1920 track long jump silver USA
Johnson Kate 2004 rowing eight silver USA
Jones Burwell 1952 swimming 800 m freestyle relay gold USA
Kennedy Bill 1972 swimming 400 m medley relay bronze Canada
Ketchum Dan 2004 swimming 4 × 200 m free. relay gold USA
Kimball Bruce 1984 diving platform silver USA
King Micki 1972 diving 3 meter gold USA
Kraenzlein Alvin 1900 track 60 meter dash gold USA
Kraenzlein Alvin 1900 track 110 meter hurdles gold USA
Kraenzlein Alvin 1900 track 220 meter hurdles gold USA
Kraenzlein Alvin 1900 track long jump gold USA
Landstrom Eeles 1960 track pole vault bronze Finland
Lang Brent 1988 swimming 400 m freestyle relay gold USA
Larkin Barry 1984 baseball silver USA
Mahoney Bill 1972 swimming 400 m medley relay bronze Canada
Malchow Tom 1996 swimming 200 m butterfly silver USA
Malchow Tom 2000 swimming 200 m butterfly gold USA
Merriott Ron 1984 diving 3 meter bronze USA
Matchefts John 1956 hockey silver USA
McClatchey Alan 1976 swimming 800 m freestyle relay bronze Great Britain
McLean John 1900 track high hurdles silver USA
Namesnik Eric 1992 swimming 400 m ind. medley silver USA
Namesnik Eric 1996 swimming 400 m ind. medley silver USA
Orwig Bernice 2000 water polo silver USA
Phelps Michael 2004 swimming 200 m ind. medley gold USA
Phelps Michael 2004 swimming 400 m ind. medley gold USA
Phelps Michael 2004 swimming 100 m butterfly gold USA
Phelps Michael 2004 swimming 200 m butterfly gold USA
Phelps Michael 2004 swimming 200 m freestyle bronze USA
Phelps Michael 2004 swimming 4 × 100 m free relay bronze USA
Phelps Michael 2004 swimming 4 × 200 m free relay gold USA
Phelps Michael 2004 swimming 4 × 100 m medley relay gold USA
Phelps Michael 2008 swimming 400 m ind. medley gold USA
Phelps Michael 2008 swimming 4 × 100 m free relay gold USA
Phelps Michael 2008 swimming 200 m freestyle gold USA
Phelps Michael 2008 swimming 200 m butterfly gold USA
Phelps Michael 2008 swimming 4 × 200 m free relay gold USA
Phelps Michael 2008 swimming 200 m ind. medley gold USA
Phelps Michael 2008 swimming 100 m butterfly gold USA
Phelps Michael 2008 swimming 4 × 100 m medley relay gold USA
Phelps Michael 2008 swimming 100 m butterfly gold USA
Phelps Michael 2012 swimming 4 × 200 m freestyle gold USA
Phelps Michael 2012 swimming 4 × 100 m medley gold USA
Phelps Michael 2012 swimming 100 m butterfly gold USA
Phelps Michael 2012 swimming 200 m medley gold USA
Phelps Michael 2012 swimming 200 m butterfly silver USA
Phelps Michael 2012 swimming 4 × 100 m freestyle silver USA
Ray Elise 2000 gymnastics bronze USA
Roberts Trish 1976 basketball bronze USA
Robie Carl 1964 swimming 200 m butterfly silver USA
Robie Carl 1968 swimming 200 m butterfly gold USA
Rose Ralph 1904 track shot put gold USA
Rose Ralph 1904 track discus silver USA
Rose Ralph 1904 track hammer bronze USA
Rose Ralph 1908 track shot put gold USA
Rose Ralph 1912 track shot put silver USA
Rose Ralph 1912 track shot put-combined gold USA
Rydze Dick 1972 diving platform silver USA
Samson Paul 1928 swimming 800 m free. relay gold USA
Schule Fred 1904 track 110 meter hurdles gold USA
Seufert Chris 1984 diving platform silver USA
Smoke Marcia Jones 1964 kayaking 500 m singles bronze USA
Sohl Robert 1948 swimming 220 m breaststroke bronze USA
Spillane Joan 1960 swimming 400 m freestyle relay gold USA
Spillane Joan 1960 swimming 400 m medley relay gold USA
Thompson Chris 2000 swimming 1500 m freestyle bronze USA
Tolan Eddie 1932 track 100 meters gold USA
Tolan Eddie 1932 track 200 meters gold USA
Vanderkaay Peter 2004 swimming 4 × 200 m free. relay gold USA
Webster Bob 1960 diving platform gold USA
Webster Bob 1964 diving platform gold USA
White Robert 1956 hockey bronze Canada
Wouda Marcel 2000 swimming 800 m freestyle relay bronze the Netherlands
Athletic directors
Athletic director Years
Charles A. Baird 1898–1909
Philip Bartelme 1909–1921
Fielding H. Yost 1921–1940
Fritz Crisler 1941–1968
Don Canham 1968–1988
Bo Schembechler 1988–1990
Jack Weidenbach 1990–1994
Joe Roberson 1994–1997
Tom Goss 1997–2000
William C. Martin 2000–2010
Dave Brandon 2010–2014
Jim Hackett 2014–2016
Warde Manuel 2016–present
Mascot
The Michigan Wolverines is one of the few college sports teams that does not have a mascot, largely for reasons of tradition.[83] In the late 1920s, the Wolverines did have an unofficial mascot – Biff, the Michigan Wolverine. The first Biff was a stuffed wolverine. The second Biff was a live wolverine, who had a companion named Bennie, but the two mustelids grew to become too ferocious to be taken to games, which ended their career as mascots.[84]