5 months ago
- Wolverines
- Updated: Jan. 01, 2026, 8:59 a.m.
- Published: Jan. 01, 2026, 8:58 a.m.
We already cognize of 1 Michigan adjunct coach readying to enactment connected and subordinate Kyle Whittingham’s staff.
Michigan moving backs coach Tony Alford is being retained by nan Wolverines’ caller caput coach for 2026, a root pinch nonstop knowledge of nan move confirmed to The Ann Arbor News/ MLive connected Wednesday.
News of nan retainment was reported earlier successful nan week by On3’s Maize & Blue Review. Michigan is not publically acknowledging unit hires yet.
Alford, 57, still has 2 years remaining connected an hold he signed successful April arsenic Michigan’s moving backs coach and run-game coordinator. Per position of nan deal, Alford is group to gain a $925,000 guidelines net successful 2026 and $950,000 successful 2027.
Known for its beingness style of play and beardown tally game, Michigan has continued that nether Alford. The Wolverines classed 73rd nationally successful rushing yards per crippled (157.2) successful 2024, past jumped to 16th successful 2025 (210.2) down strong, injury-shortened seasons from Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall.
Alford first joined nan Michigan unit successful 2024 nether erstwhile coach Sherrone Moore, who was abruptly fired connected Dec. 10 aft schoolhouse officials were presented grounds of an inappropriate narration pinch a staffer.
He antecedently spent 9 seasons astatine Ohio State.
Under Whittingham, Alford will activity to clasp Marshall for nan 2026 play and person Haynes to return for 1 much year. Haynes is NFL draft-eligible, but a ft wounded sidelined him for Michigan’s last 5 games.
He’s besides group to invited five-star enlistee Savion Hiter and three-star imaginable Jonathan Brown this year.
Whittingham has ties to Alford, whose precocious brother, Aaron, spent 4 seasons connected his Utah staff. “Tremendous shot coach,” Whittingham said during his introductory news convention successful Orlando.
Whittingham said he planned to clasp 2 aliases 3 of Michigan’s assistants to thief span his modulation to Ann Arbor.
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Aaron McMann is nan main hit writer covering nan University of Michigan shot programme for MLive Media Group, wherever he's worked since 2014. He went from covering precocious schoolhouse sports successful nan Flint area to a...
