Tony Alford explains jump from Ohio State to Michigan: ‘It was time’

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — He won’t go into specifics publicly, and made it clear Wednesday that there will be no badmouthing of his former employer, but Tony Alford ultimately felt like it was time to move on.

In his first interview since jumping ship in college football’s biggest rivalry, the longtime Ohio State assistant turned heads last month when he abruptly departed his post in Columbus for the same job at Michigan, where he was announced as running backs coach and run-game coordinator on March 13.

His annual salary at Michigan is $850,000, topping his pay at Ohio State.

“I just thought it was a great opportunity for me,” Alford told reporters, wearing a navy blue pullover emblazoned with the block ‘M’ logo. “For my growth and professional growth, I thought it was a great opportunity. I have so much respect for Sherrone have known him for quite a while, and I just thought it was time.

“It might have been time for both parties, I don’t know, but I just thought it was time and a good opportunity.”

Alford, 55, spent the last nine seasons at Ohio State — a run that saw him serve as assistant head coach and running backs coach under its last two head coaches, Urban Meyer and Ryan Day. He was given the added title of run-game coordinator in 2022, a role he continued in ‘23.

More: Donovan Edwards’ ties with new U-M RB coach Tony Alford run deep

But professionally, Alford admitted, he felt he went as high as he could on the totem pole. A former running back himself, Alford has coached in the college ranks since 1995 — boasting an accomplished tenure that includes stops at Kent State, Iowa State, Washington, Iowa State, Louisville and Notre Dame, where he coached under Brian Kelly.

“And that’s nobody’s fault,” Alford said. “If it was, I’m as culpable as anybody, right? So yeah, I thought it was time (to leave). Nine years is a long time. I just thought it was in our best interest.”

At Michigan, Alford gets a reset of sorts — working under a new, younger head coach (Moore) and offensive coordinator, Kirk Campbell, along with a running back group led by Donovan Edwards. Alford recruited Edwards to Ohio State out of high school and maintained a strong relationship with the West Bloomfield native, making the jump that much easier.

Though candidly, Alford admits, there was a lot running through his mind when he made the move.

“Duck,” Alford joked, knowing the reaction he was sure to receive from the OSU fanbase. “I have so much respect for Ohio State and the Ohio State community and what they presented to me and my family through the years. It was not an easy decision, obviously.

“Everyone’s asking why and what all are the intimate details of it. The people that need to know, they know. But at the end of the day, you make moves professionally that you feel are in your best interest, whatever those reasons are. That’s what I did and here we are.”

The Michigan fanbase celebrated the move last month, when Moore — a first-time head coach looking to replace the departing Mike Hart — inexplicably plucked Alford from his rival’s staff. A few weeks later, the Michigan head coach touted Alford’s resume — his experience, success recruiting and ability to mentor younger players.

“Obviously he was on the other side. I don’t fault him too much for that,” Moore said. “But as a person, he’s an incredible human being, an incredible mentor, an incredible coach.”

Alford offered up his own praise of Moore and the culture built at Michigan, where the Wolverines have won three straight Big Ten titles and captured the national championship last season. He sees good-natured players who work hard, are attentive and willing to be coached. And in Moore, he sees a coach whose players respect and will play for.

And even in his first couple of months on the job, a staff in alignment.

“You can tell by the way they respond to him when he speaks,” Alford said. “Those things have been phenomenal. I’m not here to be judge and the jury, but I think he’s special.”

As for Alford, he says he’s in Ann Arbor to be a piece to the puzzle. He wants to help develop running backs, help mentor the younger coaches on staff, and keep the train on the tracks.

And come Nov. 30, when Michigan plans to make the trek down to Columbus for its annual clash with the Buckeyes?

“Oh yeah, I’ve envisioned it,” Alford said. “I won’t tell you what that vision was, but it’ll be interesting. At the end of the day, there’s a team across the field and a coaching staff across the field. We have ours, they have theirs. It’s never  going to be about the coaches. Ever. Or it shouldn’t be.

“We’ll go from there.”