When Kyle Whittingham took over as Michigan’s head coach in 2025, he didn’t just get a new team. He also got a full coaching staff. However, Whittingham kept one coach from the previous staff: running backs coach Tony Alford. Alford had spent nine seasons at Ohio State before Michigan hired him in 2024. That wasn’t just a pure football decision. The decision had something to do with the personal connection Whittingham had with the Alford family.

Now that personal connection has just got greater.

Michigan has hired Eli Alford as an assistant running backs coach, according to MLive‘s Aaron McMann. Eli is Tony Alford’s nephew. He’s also the son of the late Aaron Alford, who coached under Whittingham as an assistant at Utah from 2007 to 2010 before he passed away in 2013.

Whittingham didn’t just work with Aaron Alford years ago; he brought him up by name in his first press conference at Michigan. He called the Alfords a great family and said he has a lot of respect for Tony.

“Tony Alford, tremendous football coach. 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,” Whittingham stated in his first press conference as Michigan’s head coach.

Whittingham now has both the brother and the son of a coach he once worked with at Utah on his Michigan staff. He has chosen to bring in people he already trusts, at a program where trust still needs to be built.

Tony Alford has years of experience coaching running backs, including developing six 1,000-yard rushers at Ohio State. Meantime, Eli Alford, a former defensive tackle at Montana, doesn’t have that kind of track record yet. But that’s not really the point of this hire.

The Wolverines went 9-4 last season, including a 7-2 mark in Big Ten play, before losing the Citrus Bowl 41-27 to Texas. For long-term success, Kyle Whittingham wants some stability in his backroom. He’s a new head coach walking into a program that’s already seen a lot of change at the top. Keeping the Alford family close is one way to hold onto something familiar while everything else is new.

Tony and Eli Will Have a Talented Running Back Room to Work With

Tony and Eli inherit a strong running back room, making their job easier. Michigan already has a running back room with a proven starter, a blue-chip freshman, and a reliable depth piece.

Jordan Marshall is back after a 932-yard, 10-touchdown season once he took over as the lead back. Five-star freshman Savion Hiter, the No. 1 running back recruit in the 2026 class, arrives as an immediate second option. Bryson Kuzdzal returns as a physical third option after posting 326 yards and four touchdowns in a reserve role. Justice Haynes, who led the room for most of last season before injury, has since moved on.

Now with Eli’s inclusion in the coaching staff, the Alford family’s presence may help Michigan’s running back room reach its potential.