Tony Alford’s first press conference as Michigan football’s running backs coach featured a significant disclaimer regarding his previous employment, Ohio State.
“If anyone is ever asking me to say something negative about my previous place, that’s never, never, ever gonna happen,” Alford was quoted as saying. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for what that program has always been and will undoubtedly continue to be—and nothing but great respect for the folks who helped me advance my career there.
“Not only did it help me advance in my work, but it also helped my children grow. I’m grateful for that.”
However, Alford made a move earlier this year that had a ripple effect across college football’s most intense rivalry. He departed the Buckeyes to take on a similar role as offensive run game coordinator and running backs coach at Michigan.
He knew the decision would make news, and it will result in a less-than-friendly greeting in Columbus on a November afternoon.
“Yeah, I’ve envisioned it,” Alford joked about this year’s version of The Game. “I’m not going to tell you what that vision was, but it will be intriguing. But, at the end of the day, there is a team and a coaching staff on the field. “We have ours and they have theirs.”And it will never, ever be about the coaches — or should not be.
Alford said he has only been on campus once since relocating to Ann Arbor since he has spent so much time farther south at the football facilities.
But it’s been an entertaining month for Alford, as he’s reconnected with Donovan Edwards, Jordan Marshall, and the other guys he’s recruited or seen from the other bench at the Big House or the Horseshoe.
“I just thought it was time,” Alford said when asked why he crossed across rivalry lines to Michigan. “Might have been time for both sides.”
When asked afterward if he believed he had hit his limit in Columbus, Alford responded, “In some ways. It’s nobody’s fault. If it was that, I’m as responsible as anyone.”
“I just thought it was time,” he explained. “Nine years is a long time.”
Alford joins a program that recently won a national championship and has defeated Ohio State three years in a row.
“I wasn’t here through those times where they’ve obviously started winning those games and The Game,” Alford said in a statement. “But, again, I just want to emphasize that there is a degree of hardness that has been established and is firm.
