Joel Klatt pinpoints three candidates for Michigan HC job after Sherrone Moore firing

It's ultimately a sad situation for the Michigan Wolverines. Perhaps Sherrone Moore wasn't going to be the long-term answer for them as head coach, but for him to be fired and for the situation to have deteriorated as it did, it's tragic and concerning.

There's going to be an adjustment period in Ann Arbor, but ultimately, athletic director Warde Manuel must quickly make a decision. He needs to find a new head coach, and this decision could very well determine his ability to have a job in the future as well.

A lot of names will be thrown out as the Wolverines start searching for Moore's replacement, but college football analyst Joel Klatt believes he has a definitive list. He believes three coaches are ultimately up for the job, and he thinks one of these three names will ultimately be the head coach in Ann Arbor.

His hot list is short and sweet: Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, Texas A&M's Mike Elko and Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham.

Joel Klatt has eyes on three coaches to replace Sherrone Moore at Michigan 

Notably, Vanderbilt is Lea's alma mater and the pairing between him and the Commodores seems like a perfect fit. Klatt believes the allure of Michigan could be too much, though.

"I think that his toughness, his history at Notre Dame as a defensive coordinator, so it’s not like he’s just a die in the wool SEC guy. Listen, I understand that they’re having success and he wants to stay at Vanderbilt, but Michigan is Michigan," Klatt recently said on his show. "It’s better than Vanderbilt. If Lane Kiffin can leave Ole Miss to go to LSU, you can certainly leave Vanderbilt to go to Michigan. The resources at Michigan are great. Clark Lea has been an excellent coach at Vanderbilt, and you’d absolutely call him.”

Elko just signed an extension at Texas A&M, but again, the draw of Michigan's history and long-term success could cause him to leave the Aggies. At the very least, if you're the Wolverines, you give Elko a call because he's proved himself as a high-level head coach at Duke and now Texas A&M. 

"Mike Elko seems to really understand the way to build a program the right way," Klatt said.

Dillingham may be the biggest swing of them all, but he comes with immense upside at only 35 years old. He's a coach who could lead Michigan, hypothetically, for the next 30 years.

He's been the offensive coordinator at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon. He's gone 22-16 in three seasons at Arizona State, and he led the Sun Devils to the Big 12 title last season.

Imagine what Dillingham could do with the Michigan institution behind him.

“Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State is about the right things,” Klatt concluded. “He’s seen it up close and personal. He’s coached at Oregon, and now he’s done it as a head coach. He went and won a Championship at Arizona State, and really succeeded in the Playoffs. That’s something right there. I know he said he would never leave. But, those are three guys that I would call.”

Those are three great options for the Wolverines. Now it's up to Manuel to convince one of them to leave what they've got and start over at Michigan.