Former Charlotte 49ers football coach sounds off on what went wrong, what’s next
Whether you loved or hated him, one thing is certain — Biff Poggi’s Charlotte tenure was one to behold.
For the first time since his firing in November, Poggi elaborated on what went wrong during his tenure as the program’s third head coach. In a recent appearance on the Highway 49 Podcast, Poggi discussed the ups and downs during his sub-two-season tenure with Charlotte, which ended on Nov. 18 after the team suffered its fourth 30-plus point loss of the season — the final coming on homecoming against South Florida.
With athletic director Mike Hill electing to move on from the first-time college head coach before the 2024 season’s conclusion, and hiring Ohio’s Tim Albin three weeks later, Poggi shared his side of the story.
What went wrong in Charlotte
Despite reminiscing on the good times at Charlotte, including player relationships, love for the fan base and high hopes for Albin and the program’s future, Poggi remained frustrated with the athletic administrators and how his firing was handled.
“I was pretty stunned when I got released. I was totally shocked. I was watching film and the athletic director came in and dropped that news on me. I wasn’t expecting that, so it took some time to get my head space together. It was an emotional time too because, of course, I really missed the players,” said Poggi. “It’s almost like losing someone. One day, you’ve been with them for two years, and then all of a sudden, unexpectedly, they’re gone.
“There are obviously plays that I sure want back. The first Memphis game was at home, and the second was at Memphis when we had them beat. But I don’t have any regrets. I’m proud of what our players did and how they played. I’m proud of what our coaches did,” Poggi said. “One thing I’d change — maybe the relationship with the administrators — that I would like to change.”
Taking over a young Charlotte program during its transition from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference, Poggi brought new heights to the excitement around the program. With three-star tailback Durrell Robinson becoming the first prospect to commit to the 49ers on national television (ESPN), SportsCenter hosting a weekday show on campus, and Poggi landing a a share of four and five star prospects in the portal, all signs pointed to early success, which would back Poggi’s claims of playing in the College Football Playoff and competing for and winning AAC championships.
But all proclamations from his introductory presser crumbled, and despite his best efforts to create a buzz around the program, Charlotte’s on-field product couldn’t cash the checks Poggi was writing at the podium.
“I had a six-year plan that I put together. Very detailed. I quality-controlled every single part of our football program. I shared (the plan) with my boss (Mike Hill), and his comment on it was, ‘Gosh, in all my years I’ve been an AD, I’ve never seen anything like this before.’ The public persona was always, ‘We’re going to win — right away,’” said Poggi. “That is because, when you get to a program that’s 10 years old and has never won... you’re not going to recruit anybody. You’re not going to get any fan support or generate excitement.
“We were in a new league, a much better league. Personnel didn’t match, systems didn’t match, infrastructure didn’t match, and budgets didn’t match. There was so much we had to do, and it was really a marathon, not a sprint.”
Poggi stood by his program’s six-year plan, even when they moved to the AAC.
“We were new in the league, and that affected everything — hiring, recruiting, everything.... We ended the season 4-4 in the league, and 5-7 (overall). That’s a pretty good second year of a program in a new league. Beat our rival two years in a row, and were really picking up some momentum in recruiting,” Poggi continued. “Look at where our players who entered the portal went — it was pretty impressive. All of those guys would have stayed, and we would’ve been set up to go to a bowl game, which was the year three plan. We were a defensive scheme away, because I would have made changes there at the end of the year (to move on from defensive coordinator Ryan Osborn). I think offensively, we were going to be dynamite with the young quarterback (DeShawn Purdie).”
While there were plenty of “what-if” moments in Poggi’s tenure, the on-field results and poor messaging with the fanbase directly correlated with his termination timeline. Poggi went 6-16 in his 22 games and failed to beat an FBS program at home in 2023.
Although facing a tough schedule, the excitement surrounding the program was sky-high.
And while it wasn’t always positive — from Poggi smacking the desk at AAC media day and demanding attention, to mulling staff changes three games into his tenure on a “war-path,” to missing handfuls of key starters ahead of the 2024 season-opener — people were talking about Charlotte.
And that was Poggi’s goal.
“This was one of the toughest schedules in the country. This was the toughest schedule in Charlotte history – by far. In the toughest conference Charlotte’s been in. I think every loss we had; every team was a bowl team,” said Poggi.
Of those seven teams that beat Charlotte, four of them — Memphis, Navy, James Madison and South Florida — won their bowl games. The other three — Tulane, Indiana and UNC — lost in the postseason.
“What would they have rather had? A coach that comes in and goes, ‘We stink. We’re going to stink for a while.’... Or somebody who comes in with enthusiasm. We wouldn’t have gotten one of those guys you mentioned in the building had we come in and said, ‘Hey man, this is this program’s rated one of the worst jobs in the country.’ Who would have come?’
He noted that attendance increased and that there were sellouts at home in 2024
”There was a lot of excitement. I think the only Power Four game we played that we weren’t in the game was Indiana,” Poggi said. “We did some cool stuff. Stuff the kids are proud of, coaches are proud of, and I’m proud of.”
With just six wins in Poggi’s 28 games, Charlotte did sweep their in-state conference rival East Carolina Pirates, capped by a blowout victory to bring Charlotte back to .500 mid-way through the 2024 season.
That was Charlotte’s last win under Poggi; the 49ers closed the year with two consecutive victories under interim head coach Tim Brewster.
“Good things take time. No matter what comes out of the head coach’s mouth, you have to understand that the head coach is balancing building community and creating smoke around the program so he can recruit and fill seats,” said Poggi. “You’d expect those that are involved in the organization would understand that and give that time. Too many coaches there in a short period of time. That’s why I say, allow Tim (Albin) to do that. If you want to get to the good times that are sustainable, you have to invest in the people there.”
Poggi’s thoughts on Albin
It doesn’t take much to see the dichotomy between Poggi and Charlotte’s newest head coach. After hiring consecutive CEO-types in Will Healy and Poggi, Hill went with the more traditional football coach in Albin, the most qualified coach in the program’s short history following three-consecutive 10-win seasons at Ohio, including two MAC Coach of the Year awards and a MAC Conference Championship in his final game before taking the Charlotte job.
And Poggi believes that Albin will succeed at Charlotte — if given enough time.
“I think you have a really good head coach now. I think he’s a proven winner. He’ll do very well there. I would just say this to the folks there — give him time. Fans, give him time. Administratively, give him time. Let the guy build something. Give this guy a chance,” said Poggi.
Poggi described Albin as understated and a good and serious football coach. “He’s a guy I’d love to smoke a cigar with. I want to see him do really well there. He’s an excellent man, I think, and he’s an excellent football coach. I want Charlotte to be well. I put two years of blood, sweat, and tears into that place. Everything in football stacks. From the first coach, Will (Healy), to me, Tim, and whoever is after Tim. It all stacks because you’re trying to build a program.”
NIL and how the 49ers can compete
Building a successful program in the Group of Five has proven to be a struggle, especially for a young program like Charlotte, but it’s not an insurmountable challenge. Part of Poggi’s lure was his experience at Michigan and his past career managing a multi-million-dollar hedge fund.
Coined as a “disrupter” by Hill, Poggi veered from the status quo and forged his own path to retooling Charlotte’s roster. Signing nearly 30 former high school players from his days at Saint Frances Academy and bringing in 120-plus transfers (many of whom from the Power Four) over two seasons wasn’t accidental. Poggi was looking to paint a vision to bring top talent to Charlotte, improve its stock and send the 49ers on their way, which is what he believes that college football is becoming – a farm system, like minor leagues in baseball.
“Every Power Four school now is going to have some disgruntled kids. How do you get those guys to Charlotte? You have to paint a vision for them, and what you can do there has to be believable. Look at the talent we attracted. Those players came to us because they thought that Charlotte could get them to the next level of college program. They could showcase their talents and go to the next level, where they can be paid and showcase for a potential NFL career. That’s the role that all Group of Five schools will play. You will not have a great player come in as a freshman and stay until they’re a senior. That’s not happening,” said Poggi. “It’s become a farm system. What you have to figure out is how to distinguish your farm club from the rest of them.”
Charlotte fans have seen this harsh reality play out year after year across all sports. Losing fan favorites year after year has become a reality, and Poggi believes that it’s only going to continue. He believes that Charlotte must choose where to distribute its NIL if it hopes to be successful in revenue sports like football and basketball.
“There’s a way to maneuver if you’re in the (Group of Five) and put together a roster like we did at Charlotte, where a bunch of big guys came in every year. ,” said Poggi. “It’s easier to do it in basketball, because you don’t have that many positions. You can focus your (NIL funding) and have a huge impact. At a school like Charlotte, if you’re going to (commit NIL dollars) in football, basketball, baseball, women’s basketball — you’re going to be average in all of them. I think you’re going to have to pick your medicine. ... The market has gone up. Freshman offensive linemen are getting paid $750K a year. It’s changed. If you had $1M in your NIL, you need $3-4M this year. And that will continue to come up.”
For reference, Charlotte’s total NIL pool at Charlotte in 2024 was $1.2 million, and they are hoping to raise enough to total $1.25 to $1.5 million in 2025.
Poggi talked about the differences in recruiting at a Power Four and a Group of Five program.
“The difference (in P4 to G5) is riding a bicycle to work every day and driving a Rolls-Royce,” Poggi said of recruiting at Michigan versus Charlotte. “You’re not going to keep those players. Coaches don’t win games. Coaches can build programs if given time, but players win games. You’ve got to get players.”
Back to Michigan, and what’s next
Returning to Michigan for his third stint with the program, this time as associate head coach under Sherrone Moore, Poggi is happy to be back in Ann Arbor.
“Boy, is it nice being respected and loved at a place. (Michigan) has welcomed me back in just incredible ways. This program is going to be really, really good. I feel great health-wise. Lots of energy. Love the kids and the coaches,” said Poggi. “I see myself here for a while, helping to build this. “I have had offers since I left (Charlotte) to be head coach at the Division I level, but I will not take another job unless it’s the absolute right job.”
It was a short, but far from uneventful, two years of the Poggi era in Charlotte. The 49ers were must-see television with Poggi on the podium, but as the 65-year-old coach put it himself, the on-field product was often “like sausage being made.”