During his introductory press conference, new Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham discussed the future of RB coach Tony Alford. Whether or not Alford is back or not, Whittingham has a lot of respect for him and his family. 

“Tony Alford, tremendous football coach,” Whittingham said during his introductory press conference. “I was blessed at Utah. His brother Aaron Alford, before he passed away, worked for us for several years. So I told the Alford family, great family. And Tony, you know, like I said, I got a ton of respect for him and we’ll see how things work out in that direction.”

Alford has spent two years at Michigan as the running backs coach, both under former coach Sherrone Moore. He was in the same position at Ohio State from 2015-23 under Urban Meyer and Ryan Day.

Funny enough, Whittingham was a coach at Utah under Meyer before taking over. So, there’s certainly a connection between the coaches.

If that’s any indication, Alford could be a holdover for Whittingham’s staff in 2026. The new Wolverines head coach didn’t reveal any changes to the staff yet, due to it still being bowl season. But it’ll have his type of flavor and could include current Michigan staffers.

Going into this new job, Whittingham actually admitted he didn’t know if he was done coaching. After stepping down at Utah, the Michigan job immediately opened with Moore’s firing.

“It’s an honor to be able to be in this position. Twenty-one years at Utah. Stepped down a couple weeks ago. Wasn’t sure if I was finished or not. I still have a lot left in the tank,” Whittingham said. “You can count on one hand, the amount of schools that if they called, I would listen and I would be receptive to what they had to say.

“Michigan was one of those schools, definitely a top five job in the country, without a doubt. So, when the ball started rolling, and the more I learned about Michigan, the more excited I got. And I’m just elated to be here.”

Whittingham signed a five-year contract with Michigan worth an average of $8.2 million per year. Whittingham’s contract is 75% guaranteed. His 2026 salary is expected to be $8 million.

While Whittingham is far older than many of the other coaches who were signed during this hiring cycle, he’s also far more experienced. Whittingham was the head coach at Utah from 2005-25. During his impressive tenure, he guided the Utes to a 177-88 overall record and three conference championships.