When new running backs coach Tony Alford first decided to jump to the Michigan football team after nine years with Ohio State, plenty of thoughts likely swirled around his mind. How the opportunity could help him and his career. What he can bring to the Wolverines. What it would be like to be on the other side of The Game come November.
But above any of those other thoughts, a more urgent message of what he had to do first permeated through:
“Duck,” Alford joked Wednesday.
Alford was being facetious, but it reflects the ire that switching sides in one of the most ferocious rivalries in college football brings. After defecting to the other side, there’s a lot of chatter flying at his head. Michigan fans who hated the players he coached for years are now rooting for him, and those who were on Alford’s side for nearly a decade now feel betrayed by his departure.
So it goes without saying that by trading Buckeyes for Wolverines, Alford gave himself a lot to adjust to.
“It was a little weird putting on this blue, that was a little weird,” Alford said, pointing to his Michigan-branded pullover. “I hadn’t done that since my Notre Dame days almost nine years ago. But you know what it is going into it, and so hopefully I’m just able to add value here and go from there.”
Already, the Wolverines see the value he brings. Junior running back Donovan Edwards — who Alford recruited out of high school — called multiple times to share his excitement during Alford’s three-hour drive from Columbus to Ann Arbor when he first got the job. Graduate running back Kalel Mullings shared similar praise for his new position coach. And Alford’s colleagues have already pointed to his recruiting acumen, excited for him to bring in new talent.
Alford, meanwhile, knows how important his role can be for Michigan. He’s gotten firsthand experience of Wolverines running backs torching opponents for the past three years, and remembers the impact they’ve had in turning the tide of the rivalry — not that Edwards will ever let him forget it.
“I think there’s a statline that the last 16, 17 years, whatever it is, the team that’s had the most rushing yards has won that game,” Alford said. “That starts in the trenches. … I just know that being here for the time that I have been, the past four weeks, I have seen the level of toughness that I thought they were.”
Alford chose not to make any sweeping statements on which team is tougher, instead leaving that debate to the media and the fans. But he did acknowledge what he’s seen from his new program, the type of toughness on the offensive line that helps his position group thrive.
Maybe Michigan’s tough, run-focused identity is what convinced Alford to jump ship in the first place. Now that he’s in Ann Arbor, he’s embracing it. Alford says that his recruiting skill is based on connecting with people, but when it comes to connecting with running back recruits, getting the chance to show them that hard-nosed identity helps.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows when it comes to recruiting at a new place, though. Alford is still learning more about the place he’s now tasked to convince high schoolers to come. He’s been to Central Campus once, and just recently learned about the existence of North Campus. And while Michigan sells itself in many regards, it’s still harder for him to pitch things to recruits that he hasn’t yet internalized himself.
Between new campuses, colors and connoisseurs, Alford has had a lot to adjust to in his short time with the Wolverines. And while he’s envisioned the day that he returns to Ohio Stadium, he probably won’t fully feel the effects of the change he made until that day actually comes.
For now, though, Alford is taking each change in stride, excited to embrace his new opportunity. And when unexpected things continue flying his way, well, he’s ready to duck.