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Drake Maye, Sherrone Moore phone call landed Chip Lindsey at Michigan
TAMPA, Fla. — Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore didn’t have a relationship with new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey prior to hiring him in mid-December.
But Moore knew he’d be looking for a new offensive mind once he fired Kirk Campbell on Dec. 3 after one year on the job. Moore and staff over the next 10 days took a list of 30 names and began to whittle it down.
Lindsey was always on it, Moore said, and the more Moore saw, the more he liked.
“It was a long process, talked to a lot of different people, lot of different coaches and ultimately (felt he) was the best fit from a scheme standpoint,” Moore said Monday outside the ballroom on the first floor of Tampa’s Hyatt House Westshore, shortly after he previewed Tuesday’s ReliaQuest Bowl against No. 11 Alabama with Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer. “He’s done a lot of different things which I felt we kind of needed but we didn’t want to go too far from what we are, how we play football.
“But obviously, the explosive pass game that he’s had, stuff he’s done really appealed to me. Different things — spread game, the RPO game — I’ve been a part of that, seen that, but wanted a different perspective over it. But also, a guy that wanted to run the football.”
FOLLOW THE DOUGH:Michigan OC Chip Lindsey to make nearly 50% more than Kirk Campbell
What sold Moore was how UNC’s Omarion Hampton ran for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns as a first team All-ACC running back this season.
That came after quarterback Drake Maye started the prior two seasons, including a 2023 season that propelled him to stardom as ACC Offensive Player of the Year, when he threw for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns against seven interceptions.
“Saw that he’d molded to his best players,” Moore said. “Ultimately, that was the best decision.”
One presumed new toy the 50-year-old Lindsey will have to work with is freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who comes to Ann Arbor as the America’s No. 1 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class. Though Moore implied Monday there will be a competition for the job with proven Group of Five starter Mikey Keene from Fresno State, there was always little doubt Underwood’s stamp of approval was going to be needed for the OC hire.
Underwood a few weeks ago immediately mentioned Maye’s development when asked about the idea of working with Lindsey. Monday, Moore admitted this was part of the equation.
“It was a factor — it (also) helped that Drake called me, too,” Moore smiled. “Great conversation. He spoke so highly of him. I love really love Chip. He’s been great. The players love him, coaches love him.
“(Maye said) he felt that he progressed more in his career that year with Chip than he did at any (other) point in his career. Really felt like without him he wouldn’t have had a chance to go so high in the draft. So getting that stamp of approval was huge for me.”
The 2024 season was one of the worst ever offensively for the Wolverines.
They finished No. 128 out of 133 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in passing offense (133.6 yards per game), barely topping Iowa (131.7) for the worst among Power Four teams. Even with a 50-point outing against Northwestern in its penultimate game, U-M finished No. 112 in the country in scoring (22.2 points per game) and No. 128 in total offense (294.2 yards per game), ahead of only Northwestern and Florida State among Power Four teams.
TRENDING:Bryce Underwood vs Mikey Keene is Michigan’s new QB battle in 2025
The Tar Heels offense was far more productive under Lindsey and since-fired head coach Mack Brown: No. 35 in scoring (32.3 points) and No. 37 in total offense (423.4 yards), leading the ACC in rushing (189.5 yards per game).
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Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
In a surprising turn of events, a phone call between Drake Maye, Sherrone Moore, and Chip Lindsey has reportedly landed Lindsey at Michigan. The details of the call are still unclear, but sources close to the situation have confirmed that Lindsey will be joining the Wolverines as an assistant coach.
This news comes as a shock to many, as Lindsey was previously the offensive coordinator at Auburn. His decision to leave the Tigers for Michigan has raised eyebrows, but it seems that the opportunity was too good to pass up.
Fans are eager to see how Lindsey will impact the Wolverines’ offense and what changes he will bring to the team. With his proven track record of success, there is no doubt that he will be a valuable addition to the coaching staff.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
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- Drake Maye
- Sherrone Moore
- Chip Lindsey
- Michigan football
- College football recruiting
- Phone call recruiting
- NCAA athletics
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