Tony Alford Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State coach leaves for job with program's biggest rival

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 3/13/24

Longtime Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford is leaving the school for a surprising destination.

Alford is leaving the Buckeyes staff to take the same position at Michigan. Alford’s X page reflected the change as of Wednesday, with his bio listing him as the run game coordinator and running backs coach at Michigan. He also posted a farewell message to Ohio State on Wednesday.

Buckeye Nation…. pic.twitter.com/R5a4fTMskL

— Coach Tony Alford (@CoachTonyAlford) March 13, 2024

Alford will replace former Michigan star Mike Hart, who previously held the same positions. It was announced last week that Hart was not being retained by new head coach Sherrone Moore.

Landing Alford is certainly a coup for Michigan, especially given that they managed to lure him away from archrival Ohio State. He had been coaching Ohio State’s running backs since 2015, a period that saw him work with the likes of Ezekiel Elliott and J.K. Dobbins.

The Buckeyes have spent the offseason loading up on talent after their third straight loss to Michigan in the fall. For their part, the Wolverines will look different next year after Jim Harbaugh departed for the NFL, but Alford should provide some useful knowledge about their chief rival.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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