It took until there was less than one week remaining before the start of spring practice, but Michigan football’s coaching staff has been finalized.
Tony Alford, Ohio State’s longtime running back coach, has left Columbus to take the same position in Ann Arbor under head coach Sherrone Moore, according to reports.
He replaces running backs coach Mike Hart, a legend in Ann Arbor whose contract expired after last offseason but ultimately was not retained.
Alford, who had coached Buckeyes backs since 2015 under Urban Meyer and Ryan Day, was the second-longest tenured staffer in Columbus behind only longtime defensive line strong hold Larry Johnson. Alford spent six years at Notre Dame under Brian Kelly and Charlie Weis prior to his most recent run and had stops at Iowa State, Louisville and Washington before then.
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Sep 16, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day and running backs coach Tony Alford watch from the sideline during the NCAA football game against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 63-10.
Alford’s time coaching running backs at Louisville (2007-08) came just before Moore arrived there as a graduate assistant (2009-11) and tight ends coach (2012-13) at the start of his career.
Among the star backs Alford help coach for Ohio State: Ezekiel Elliott, J.K. Dobbins and TreVeyon Henderson, and most recently the Buckeyes had wooed former Ole Miss star Quinshon Judkins to pair with Henderson.
Instead, Alford, who is highly regarded as both a recruiter and talent developer, has decided to join the team that’s beat up on his Buckeyes each of the past three seasons.
The Wolverines lost the most decorated running back in the history of the program in Blake Corum, who leaves after three…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-football-reportedly-poaches-ohio-164606225.html
Author : Detroit Free Press
Publish date : 2024-03-13 16:46:06
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