Mike DeBord, offensive coordinator at Tennessee since 2015, is leaving the Vols’ football program for the same position at Indiana University.
DeBord was hired as the Vols’ OC and quarterbacks coach in February 2015 and is a 30-year coaching veteran.
In two years directing Tennessee’s offense, the Vols have posted identical 9-4 records and won the Outback and Music City bowls against Northwestern and Nebraska, respectively.
DeBord, who began his coaching career, which included two jobs in the NFL, in 1982 at Franklin College, also had stops at Fort Hays State, Eastern Illinois, Ball State, Colorado State, Northwestern, Michigan (three times), Central Michigan, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears and Tennessee.
His last stint at Michigan was as a sport administrator from 2013-15 before coach Butch Jones hired him at Tennessee.
In an era when the nation’s collegiate offenses are putting up remarkable numbers within the construct of imaginative schemes, but DeBord’s offenses were often seen as too vanilla and predictable.
DeBord’s 2016 offense was up over 2015 numbers in three of four offensive categories – points scored (473, plus 16), rushing yards (2,668, down 240), passing yards (3,100, plus 518) and total yards (5,768, up 278).
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs had a record-setting senior year this season, wide receivers, especially Josh Malone, grew in stature and enjoyed increased productivity, but the rushing attack wasn’t always up to par.
The Vols set school records, including touchdowns (63), and Dobbs set several individual records as well.
Jalen Hurd quit on the team in the South Carolina game when he refused to return to action late, but Alvin Kamara and John Kelly did a nice job taking up the slack over the season’s final five games.
The Vols suffered devastating SEC East losses at South Carolina and Vanderbilt that cost them the division championship and a spot in the SEC championship game against Alabama in Atlanta.
Over the following two weeks the Vols also dropped decisions to nationally ranked Texas A&M (two overtimes) and No.
1 Alabama, but that was no surprise. At least not until later when the Aggies fell apart down the stretch.
Against South Carolina, the Vols’ offensive production was down in three key categories from those seasonal averages.
Tennessee gained 136 yards rushing, 161 passing and had 297 total yards in the frustrating 24-21 loss.
In the loss to Vanderbilt, one that still stings, the Vols scored 24 first-half points and trailed by seven points, but were outscored by the Commodores 21-3 in the second half.
Three times DeBord was an offensive coordinator along the way, holding that title at Fort Hays and Michigan, in addition to Tennessee.
DeBord is the first assistant to leave Jones’ staff after the just completed 9-4 season, but he may not be the last.
The new offensive coordinator will have to deal with the absence of several top players, including Dobbs. Malone and Kamara, both juniors, plan to enter the NFL draft.
Jones says he has no timetable for naming a replacement and that person could come from within. Jones is also saying he wants a coach that can develop quarterbacks. The Vols’ coach is talking to college and pro coaches.
Jones also doesn’t feel pressured to hire a new OC prior to National Signing Day in February.
DeBord worked mainly with the offensive line during his time with Tennessee. Quality control coach Nick Sheridan primarily handled quarterbacks.
One of the names already floating out there to replace DeBord is former Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich, who was fired after four seasons. The Ducks went 4-8 this season, including a 35-32 loss to Nebraska. Tennessee hammered the Cornhuskers 38-24 in the Music City Bowl on Friday.
Helfrich was at a Tennessee bowl practice last week.
DeBord has indicated he’s making the move to be closer to family and grandchildren. He is believed to have thought that would happen through retirement, but the opening at Indiana gives the 60-year-old DeBord a chance to keep coaching.
DeBord replaces Kevin Johns, who was fired by Hoosiers coach Tom Allen on Monday.
Allen just completed his first year at Indiana where he serves as the Hoosiers’ defensive coordinator on Kevin Wilson’s staff. Wilson resigned on Dec. 1, 2016, due to “philosophical differences” with Fred Glass, the school’s athletic director and amid allegations of player mistreatment.
Wilson was at Indiana from 2011-2016.
After Wilson’s resignation, Indiana played Utah in the Foster Farms Bowl on Dec. 28 and that served as Allen’s debut as the Hoosiers’ head coach. Indiana lost to the Utes, 26-24 and finished the season at 6-7.
Late Tuesday night, the Herald Times in Bloomington, Ind., reported on its website that Wilson will become the new offensive coordinator at Ohio State.
The Columbus Dispatch, in a story on its website, said Urban Meyer “could be bringing in” Wilson as the Buckeyes’ next offensive coordinator. Meyer on Tuesday hired Ryan Day, who worked the past two seasons under Chip Kelly as his new quarterbacks coach. However, a deal has yet to be reached.
Those moves come on the heels of Ohio State losing to Clemson 31-0 in the college football semifinal playoff game. It was the first shutout for a Meyer-coached team.
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)