Mike DeBord, former Michigan offensive coordinator, dead at 69

Former Michigan offensive coordinator and assistant coach Mike DeBord has died, according to a report from The Detroit News’ Angelique Chengelis. He was 69 years old.

The cause of death was not immediately revealed in the report, which noted only that DeBord’s son was the source of confirmation on his father’s passing. Debord served at Michigan in various capacities over the years.

He was first an offensive line coach for the program from 1993-1996. He was then elevated to offensive coordinator from 1997-1999.

Mike DeBord later returned to Michigan in 2004 as the program’s special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator, staying in those roles for two years. He then served as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach from 2006-07.

After a stint in the NFL, DeBord returned to Michigan in an administrative role from 2013-14. He’d hop back into coaching after that.

His final stint with the Wolverines came during the COVID-19 impacted 2020 season, when Mike DeBord served as an offensive analyst on Jim Harbaugh‘s staff. He’d have one more year in coaching following that, jumping to Kansas as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2021.

In between, DeBord served as Central Michigan‘s head coach from 2000-03. He put together a 12-34 record there, including a 7-25 mark in conference play.

He also prominently spent some time on the coaching staff at Tennessee. He served as the Volunteers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2015-16 under head coach Butch Jones.

Mike DeBord had stints in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks (2008-09) and Chicago Bears (2010-12), while he also spent time with the San Diego Fleet (2019) in the Alliance of American Football. He had a wide-ranging resume.

According to a report from FootballScoop.com, DeBord suffered a severe stroke and a brain bleed in his Michigan home in the fall of 2021. The family provided several updates on his status via FootballScoop at the time.