While fans of Michigan football worried about the fallout from the Sherrone Moore saga in December, the roster and incoming players were top of mind. But often lost in the mix are the coaches, who were tasked with preparing the team for a bowl game without having any certainty on their end.
Ultimately, the Wolverines hired former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who retained two coaches — though Lou Esposito made a late departure, following Jesse Minter to the Baltimore Ravens. But running backs coach Tony Alford returns, the only holdover from the previous staff.
Advertisement
Though many may think in terms of, ‘Hey, we want to keep this coach because he’s good for the team,’ it’s a bit more human behind the scenes. Alford spoke to Jon Jansen on the In the Trenches podcast on Wednesday and detailed a bit of what it was like to live and work in a state of limbo for nearly a month as he lay in wait, not knowing if he was going to have to uproot his family or not — all while working to keep the team together.
“I think it’s a great question. You live in parallel lives in some regards, where half the day is spent, well, am I even going to be here? Should I be looking for a job?” Alford said. “But then the other side, well, I am here, and I have responsibility here to get ready for a game and, more importantly, to prepare your players and be the best that you can be for them.
“You’re kind of on both sides of that fence. But ultimately it comes down to just being a pro and doing your job.I had a job here at the University of Michigan, and I’m a firm believer that you put both feet in the water where you’re at, and things will happen for you accordingly. One foot out, one foot in, you’re never going to be good for anybody, including yourself. So I just dove into what I was doing because that’s really all I know how to do and what to do. We asked our players to do the same thing, that don’t be looking out the window, just put blinders on and go do the job that you’re charged with doing.”
But keeping the running backs working toward the goal of beating Texas wasn’t the only thing that Alford was doing. He also had to ensure that the Wolverines retained star running back signee Savion Hiter, a former five-star and top tailback in the 2026 class.
Advertisement
Between the extant players and the recruits, Alford had the same mentality — tell them where things are realistically, don’t sugarcoat anything, and don’t sell a tale. The best thing he felt he could do in the moment was to simply be open and honest.
“I think just being transparent,” Alford said. “I tell kids in recruiting, I tell my players this, as they know and I hope they know this and believe this when they watch me interact with my own children, that I’m going to treat them like my sons.
“With that being said, I’m going to be transparent. I’m going to tell you this is exactly what’s going on. With that being said, ‘Coach, what are you doing?’ ‘I don’t know what I’m doing. I know I’d like to be here, but I don’t know. In the meantime, we’re going to get ready to go be the best player you can be and hope to win a game. I’m going to expect the same from you.’
“Again, you worry about the things that you can control, but I remember saying this to all the players that all the reasons that you came to the University of Michigan, academically speaking, the network capacities of it, play winning football, championships, prepare for the NFL, all those things still exist. Now you might have a different coach in the room but those things still exist for you and how do you go about your daily walk in achieving those goals, those are still here regardless if I’m coaching or someone else is coaching you, that this is a great place and you chose it for all those reasons so continue to make it what it is.”
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan coach Tony Alford on navigating job uncertainty
