Ohio State lost running back coach Tony Alford on Wednesday. That alone stings, given the timing of the departure. But Alford is moving to the Buckeyes’ rival Michigan for the same position after it was confirmed Mike Hart would not return.
This adds another piece to a strange offseason of coaching moves in and out of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. As the Scarlet and Gray’s longest-tenured assistant coach, Alford’s departure leaves another hole that will need to be filled. The timing of the move makes filling that hole that much more difficult as many teams across the country, including Ohio State, have begun spring practice. The fact that Alford will now head to the Wolverines makes this an even tougher pill to swallow in Columbus.
Alford’s decision to move on shouldn’t surprise Buckeye fans who have recently paid attention to the situation. Alford was not among the multiple returning assistant coaches to receive a raise earlier this offseason. Given this was coming off of the worst statistical rushing season in Alford’s tenure with the Scarlet and Gray, there was no need to change his contract at that time, but notable nonetheless.
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Other programs have also expressed interest in Alford in the past. Even this offseason, reports surfaced of him possibly returning to Notre Dame, where Alford spent five years before coming to Ohio State, and initial approaches from Miami and USC. Why Alford turned those down and elected to return to the Buckeyes, only to leave the program two months later, is unclear.
The fact that it’s going to Michigan makes it even harder to understand. Alford spent the last nine seasons as part of the Scarlet and Gray program that claims to hate “The Team Up North,” yet it took a slight raise to make that move. Alford will now take at least an initial understanding of what head coach Ryan Day and his staff want to do in 2024 to a rival with a three-year winning streak over Ohio State.
But Alford’s decision is not all doom and gloom for the Buckeyes.
