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When Mike Hill made the decision to fire Will Healy eight games into the 2022 season, he knew then that he was going to have to think outside the box, to find the right guy to lead his football program. Healy was able to guide the 49ers to their first-ever bowl game, but could never build off that season, and with Charlotte set to make the move to the AAC, they needed someone capable of taking the team to new heights.
That search led him to assistant head coach at Michigan, Biff Poggi, the man many people give the most credit for helping return the Wolverines to the national stage. Poggi, who is a self-made millionaire, and giant in the high school ranks, was tasked with turning Charlotte into a winner, without having ever led a college program. Instead of coming and flying under the radar, Poggi started to overturn the roster immediately, seeing 52 players exit his program, all the while bringing in 52 more talented players to up the talent and the depth on the roster.
Not only did Poggi make headlines with the talent he brought in, he made headlines with comments he made publicly both with the general media and on WFNZ. Poggi took a shot at the previous coaching staff’s defensive philosophy and went as far as to say that Charlotte would finish top-15 defensively in the country. He didn’t stop there, on our airwaves, he made it known that he’s not happy with the financial standing program, claiming that the program can’t win without more investment into his program. If that wasn’t enough, this week at AAC Media Day, he stormed off the podium after being asked only three questions and made his frustrations known, after his team was picked to finish last.
Today though, Poggi joined the Wes & Walker Show, and among many things, he did talk about, arguably the most important one, was despite the frustrations he’s had during his first year on the job. This is where he wants to be. “We have really good kids. I love my players. I wouldn’t want to be coaching anywhere else right now”. That should make 49ers fans happy to know that they have a coach that is as passionate about the program being successful, as they are. Hopefully, both Poggi and the fan base will get to reap the rewards on the football field this fall.
You can catch the Wes & Walker Show every weekday from 12-3 PM on Sports Radio 92.7 WFNZ and on the WFNZ app.
