Finish 7-5 at a school with Michigan's tradition for winning, and you're bound to see changes.

This off-season has been a busy one for Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and the football team, with Carr shaking up his staff.

Gone are offensive coordinator Terry Malone and defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann. After a brief flirtation period with the Chicago Bears, last year's defensive backs coach Ron English is now back as defensive coordinator. Ron Lee, who left Wisconsin to join the Wolverines, will fill as secondary coach in Ann Arbor.

On the other side of the ball, Mike DeBord moves from special teams coach to offensive coordinator, the position he held during Michigan's 1997 National Championship season.

The special-teams coordinating position that DeBord vacated will be split up among the assistant coaches. DeBord will still coach the punt team, Lee will handle the punt return team, running backs coach Fred Jackson will lead the kick return team and defensive line coach Steve Stripling will handle the kickoff team.

"With any change, I think there's great enthusiasm," Carr said. "Our players are excited. Any time you lose two outstanding coaches, it does create an opportunity for change and new ideas. So, I think it's going to be very good."

Saturday, the coaches got a chance to work with the returning Michigan players in the first spring practice of the season.

Coming into this spring, Carr and his staff placed a major emphasis on conditioning. Sophomore running back Kevin Grady has exemplified the new goal. Over the winter, Grady dropped about 10 pounds for the 218-frame he's sporting this spring.

"Kevin Grady has made great strides," Carr said. "When I look at him today compared to what he was a year ago, I think he's really committed himself to the conditioning part of it."

Carr also stressed the need to return to a more balanced offensive attack. Last season, the Wolverines struggled to run the ball efficiently. They mustered just 32 yards rushing in their season finale against Ohio State. Even though a healthy Mike Hart will help the Wolverine ground game this season, Carr stressed the importance of establishing the run.

"What we need to do offensively, that we didn't do a year ago, is run the football more effectively," Carr said. "If you're going to be successful and play championship football, I think you have to run the football."

The Wolverines will also need to improve a defense that gave up too many big plays during the late stages of games. The Michigan defense allowed game-winning drives in the fourth quarter against Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio State and Nebraska.

"You have to be good against the run, and I think you have to prevent big plays," Carr said. "I want a defense that's not giving up big plays."

Carr said he was pleased with winter conditioning, but the injury bug dealt the Wolverines a significant setback.

Sophomore Antonio Bass injured his knee while participating in conditioning drills two weeks ago. He stumbled and hurt his knee when he awkwardly planted his foot as he fell. Carr said he doesn't know the extent of the injury but said that Bass would not participate in spring practice.

Carr planned to split Bass's time at quarterback and wide receiver this spring. After seeing spot action as quarterback last season, Bass would have bolstered a thin depth chart behind sophomore Chad Henne.

Redshirt freshman Jason Forcier is the lone scholarship quarterback on the roster, and freshman David Cone will arrive in the fall.