Mike DeBord
Current Role: Olympic Sports Administrator, Michigan
Quick background: DeBord has about done it all in coaching, working for years as an offensive line coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator at Michigan in 1997. He won a national title in that role in his first season and remained there until 1999. He then went on to be the head coach at Central Michigan from 2000-03 – posting a 12-34 record in his four-year span. He returned for a brief stint as a Michigan assistant/OC after that. He then worked in the NFL with Seattle and Chicago from 2008-12 and has been out of coaching since.
Why he might work: Jones seems to have DeBord very high on the list. He had him in Knoxville for a full weekend and almost seems to be preparing the fan base for the hire, which would be met with mixed reviews based on social media reaction. He does know Jones incredibly well to the point that Jones called him an influence when he was first hired at UT. He’s called plays, has been a head coach and has NFL experience as well.
Why he might not: It’s an interesting fit schematically. A vast majority of DeBord’s experience comes in a traditional, pro-style offense. And while Jones doesn’t like to stick one label on his offense, it clearly has a ton of spread elements, something DeBord would have to adjust to. He’s been out of coaching for several years and hasn’t called an offense since 2007. He also has limited background coaching quarterbacks, so there would have to be some shuffling on the staff to accommodate him. New Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn also worked with him in Seattle and could have interest in him for his staff as well.
