Tony Alfor, the running backs coach at Ohio State, was taken by Michigan football, and here’s why the Wolverines should bring him in to replace Mike Hart.
Sherrone Moore, the head coach of Michigan football, made an incredible appointment on Wednesday when he hired Tony Alford, the coach of Ohio State’s running backs.
There were whispers of an incredible hire, but no one was sure what that meant. Insiders had excellent reason not to want to give away the surprise. However, it appears that this has been agreed upon for weeks. The fact that the defensive assistants’ background checks, which took weeks to complete, did not impede the announcement on Wednesday suggests that they were either finished or in the process of being finished when Alford was OSU’s spring ball coach.
Although we can’t confirm that, it seems sense that’s what happened, which is fantastic. On his way out the door, I hope he committed the playbook to memory. Similar to how the Buckeyes stole Greg Mattison and Al Washington, it is a bonus.
Here are three reasons why Sherrone Moore and the Michigan football team are celebrating this historic victory: “All is fair in love and war.”
An adequate replacement for Mike Hart
Denard Robinson was mentioned as a potential substitute, but Alford has an amazing resume. He has spent almost 20 years coaching running backs in college. After working at Notre Dame, he was recruited by Urban Meyer to Ohio State.
Alford’s resume is really strong. Over the years, the Buckeyes have also had outstanding running backs. But since Ryan Day became head coach, their offense has moved away from the run, and I’m sure it was tempting to return to a team that prefers to ground and pound, as the Buckeyes did under Meyer.
Alford brought in Donovan Edwards and Jordan Marshall. That transiton should be lessened because they know him. They also know that their coach is a man who has successfully sent numerous players to the NFL.
A bonus on the recruiting trail
Ohio State supporters will argue that, despite landing a lot more five-star and top-100 players than Mike Hart ever did, Ryan Day was let down by Alford during the recruiting process. In addition to coaching at Ohio State, he has recruited athletes from 11 states to fill 11 different roles. The man will assist replace the vacuum left by Steve Clinkscale and be a valuable recruit.
Clink was a superb hiring manager. He was also deeply connected to Ohio. Alford can fill the vacuum that Michigan football lost in that regard. That may fall under his purview, and Michigan football supporters are aware of how crucial a recruiting footprint that is for the Wolverines.
Nevertheless, three running backs who are projected to be in the top 200 overall (2025 and 2026) have expressed their admiration for Alford and how Michigan football is now on their minds. After just one day, I already have a sense that Alford will attract some guys who are highly regarded in the upcoming recruiting classes.
Egg on the face of Ryan Day
Finding a new running backs coach won’t be a problem for Ohio State, I’m sure. However, the way Buckeye supporters are behaving as though the man they have consistently referred to as the greatest running backs coach in the nation is a jerk is genuinely ridiculous. Even though it was predicted, it was still humorous.
Moore’s ability to take Alford and sneak him away from without him realizing it is amazing. It’s not as though the opposition informed us of this till after the event. Few individuals in Michigan were aware.
This is just one more setback for Michigan football, given all the losses Ryan Day has caused in the previous three seasons. Although Sherrone Moore defeated him in November on the field and is currently holding his own in the offseason, perhaps he will turn things around and have the last laugh.
