The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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160 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW T he first thing you no- tice in speaking with Chip Lindsey is the accent … that Southern drawl you'd expect of a Madison, Ala., native who's spent much of his time coaching below the Mason-Dixon line. There were some flashbacks, in fact, to former Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez when we were first introduced to Michigan's new offensive coordinator this winter. We ' l l s to p t h e re , b e fo re panic ensues, to say this — the charming twang is where the comparisons end. Rodriguez wasn't a fit for many reasons, none of which had to do with how he spoke. And to be clear, there's no prejudice when it comes to the accent. It's fan- tastic, and a huge hit with the team. Whichever of the 11 se- cret herbs and spices separates Kentucky Fried Chicken from the competition, that's the flavor Lindsey has added to the Michigan locker room. "I like his demeanor with the players. I like the relationships he's building with the players," former Michigan and NFL offensive lineman Jon Jansen, a frequent practice observer this spring, said. "It will take time, but the more those rela- tionships develop, the communication in practice will be better, and the com- munication on game days obviously goes way up." Beyond that, though, he really likes his offense. Every receiver route tree seems to have a purpose, and everyone — those wideouts, the backs, the tight ends — will be involved in the passing game. At the same time (and what offensive linemen love, of course), the run game is going to be the bread and butter. "When I watched him in spring ball and you saw him in the spring game, there is a clear [identity], 'We're not go- ing to waver — we're still going to run the ball,'" Jansen continued. "But there's also a clear plan for throwing the ball down- field." And to be fair to former OC Kirk Campbell, there are more weapons with which to do it. Quarterback was an obvi- ous problem last year, and the offensive line was sketchy, too. While there are still issues to sort out, there's talent here. Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood is going to be a star — it's only a matter of when. Lindsey will be expected to get the best out of him, and he's proven on each of his stops he's the guy who can. North Carolina ranked No. 7 in the FBS in total offense in 2023, Lindsey's first year as co- ordinator there, and had the No. 2 rusher in the FBS in 2024 in Omarion Hampton. At Southern Miss in 2015, the Golden Eagles went 9-5 and became the second program in FBS history to have a 4,000- yard passer, a 1,000-yard receiver and two 1,000-yard rushers. Lindsey has an "Air Raid" background, but as he's evolved, he's become a run- first coordinator. "Smash" is still what they're going to rely on. Expect to see more dejected Ohio State defenders, hands on hips gasping for breath in the fourth quarters of games and more points on the board, too. "I like his creativity," Michi- gan analyst and former run- ning backs coach Fred Jackson, also a former U-M offensive coordinator, said. "He looks at a defense, sees what they're running, and he'll be able to go to something right away that works. He's a very, very smart guy and understands defenses as well as anybody. "Players are going to love him because he's a players' coach, and he's always getting them into the right play. You're not going to run a play into a loaded defense when Chip is coordinator, because he's got RPOs, run-pass checks, all those kinds of things." Pop on North Carolina game film from a year ago, though, and you'll also see a game plan similar to what the Wolverines have relied on in the run game over the last several years. There's inside and outside zone, counters, but even more screens and draw plays that work better when you have an outstanding passing game. Credit Sherrone Moore for making the tough decision to try to upgrade after only a year. Give him even more kudos for doing his homework and finding the right guy, even talking to former UNC quar- terback Drake Maye about his incredible progress under Lindsey. "He felt that he progressed more that year with Chip than he did at any point in his career," Moore said. "Getting that stamp of approval was really huge for me." There are no guarantees in football, of course. There are way too many variables to be too sure about anything. But there are three for whom we've come close in this column over the last several years in John Beilein, Jim Harbaugh, and Dusty May. We'll make it four with Chip Lindsey and put it on record here — "Y'all are gonna love this guy." ❏ INSIDE MICHIGAN CHRIS BALAS Chris Balas has been with The Wolverine since 1997. Contact him at cbalas@ thewolverine.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @Balas _ Wolverine. New offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, a native of Alabama, has been a hit with his players' coach mentality, offensive planning and Southern accent. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Southern Charm, Northern Fit