- **Q: What was Mike DeBord's most notable achievement?
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Sports / College Football
The football world mourns the loss of Mike DeBord, a respected coach with a long career spanning college and professional ranks, including multiple stints at the University of Michigan and time as an offensive coordinator at Tennessee. DeBo...
Mike DeBord's journey in football began as a player at Manchester College, where he was a four-year starter on the offensive line. After earning his master's degree from Ball State in 1981, he embarked on a coaching career that would last over four decades.
DeBord climbed the ranks through smaller colleges before landing his first Big Ten job as an offensive line coach at Northwestern in 1992. He joined Michigan's staff under Gary Moeller in 1993 and was promoted to offensive coordinator by Lloyd Carr in 1997, a pivotal year where he helped guide the Wolverines to a national championship.
His success led to his only head coaching position at Central Michigan (2000-2003). Though his record there was 12-34, he returned to Michigan under Carr in 2004, eventually reprising his role as offensive coordinator in 2006-2007.
DeBord ventured into the NFL, coaching with the Seattle Seahawks (2008-2009) and Chicago Bears (2010-2012). He later returned to the college scene, notably serving as Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at Tennessee (2015-2016) under Butch Jones, where he coached QB Josh Dobbs during successful seasons, and at Indiana (2017-2018) under Tom Allen.
His connection to Michigan remained strong, with returns as a sports administrator (2013-2014) and an offensive analyst under Jim Harbaugh (2020). His final coaching role was briefly as offensive coordinator at Kansas in 2021 before suffering a stroke later that year.
His son, Tyler DeBord, shared the news, stating, "He had a great sense of faith, work ethic, love for family, football, and life. His loss will be felt by many because of the impact he had on everyone he touched." Tributes came from colleagues like Tom Allen, who said, "I was Blessed (sic) to be mentored by and coach with Mike DeBord. He was one of the best men that I know in the coaching profession!"
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What are your favorite memories of Coach DeBord's time at Michigan, Tennessee, or other programs? Let us know!
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