It appears that new Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham has made his first decision regarding the current coaching staff in Ann Arbor.
Sources have informed Maize & Blue Review that Whittingham will be retaining Tony Alford to resume his responsibilities as running backs coach at Michigan. Alford has spent the previous two seasons in Ann Arbor, where he has seen his running backs have success.
Whittingham and Alford are connected, both having worked with Urban Meyer at separate stops. On a personal level, Whittingham hired Alford’s brother, Aaron, as an assistant coach with the Utes, where he spent the 2007-2010 seasons before transitioning to an administrative role.
After an injury-ravaged 2025 season, the Wolverines had two running backs who were trending toward becoming 1,000-yard rushers in Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall. Haynes finished the season with 857 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns before a foot injury suffered in late October sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Marshall added 932 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns before a shoulder injury limited him in the Wolverines’ final two games of the season.
Not to be outdone, former walk-on Bryson Kuzdzal added 244 yards and four touchdowns in a larger role due to injury.
Alford was directly responsible for adding Haynes out of the transfer portal, who ended up being one of the highly-regarded portal additions in the cycle, as well as five-star running back Savion Hiter, who the Wolverines signed in the 2026 recruiting class.
This is a developing story.
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