Michigan football official announces Chip Lindsey as offensive coordinator

Welcome, Coach! #GoBlue

On Tuesday, Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore said it would be a day or two before he made a decision on who the Wolverines’ new offensive coordinator would be. However, about 30 minutes later, news broke that former Auburn and North Carolina offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chip Lindsey had been offered the job and had accepted.

But it took some time for Michigan football to announce the move. However, now it is officially official.

Via an official press release, here is what the program, Moore, and Lindsey had to say about the hire. You can read the entire thing below.

Full release

University of Michigan J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Sherrone Moore announced Friday (Dec. 13) the hiring of Chip Lindsey as the program’s Sanford Robertson Offensive Coordinator and Robert McCollum Family Quarterbacks Coach.

Lindsey brings 27 years of collegiate coaching experience to Ann Arbor including stints as a head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. He has led offenses that averaged at least 30 points per game in nine of his 12 seasons as a full-time coach at the collegiate level.

“Coach Lindsey is an innovative offensive mind who likes to run and pass the ball with great efficiency and balance,” said Moore. “After spending a considerable amount of time together, I knew that Chip was the right fit to coordinate our offense. We share the same philosophy regarding structure, scheme and player development, and I know his leadership of the offense will place our players in the best position to succeed. We are excited to have Chip, Cecily and their children join our University of Michigan and Michigan Football family.”

“I am excited to join Coach Moore’s staff at the University of Michigan,” said Lindsey. “We share the same vision for offensive football and Coach Moore has assembled an outstanding staff that is aligned in its objectives to help our players succeed. I look forward to leading and serving the young men in this program while helping them achieve their goals on and off the football field. My family and I are excited to join the Michigan family. Go Blue!”

Lindsey comes to Ann Arbor after serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of North Carolina the past two seasons (2023-24). He ran a balanced attack during the 2024 season that averaged 32.3 points and 423.4 yards of total offense per game. The Tar Heels led the ACC in rushing offense (189.5 ypg) while the passing game generated an average of 233.9 yards per contest. UNC had three players earn All-ACC honors led by RB Omarion Hampton, who received first-team honors. Hampton earned All-American honors in both 2023 and 2024.

He directed a high-powered offensive attack in Chapel Hill during the 2023 season. The Tar Heels averaged 491.2 yards per contest, which ranked seventh nationally, and scored 34.5 points per game to list 20th in the NCAA. Lindsey ran a balanced offense, passing for 292.2 yards per game (14th in the NCAA) and rushing for 192.1 yards per contest (19th in the NCAA). The Tar Heels were one of only two programs to pass for at least 299 yards per game and rush for at least 192 yards per game. UNC also ranked ninth nationally in third down conversions at 48.4% on the year. The offense was led by QB Drake Maye, the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, and Hampton, a Doak Walker Award finalist and first-team All-American. Hampton was fifth nationally in rushing with 1,504 and scored 15 rushing TDs to rank 11th in the NCAA. Maye threw for 3,608 yards and 24 TDs and led the ACC in total yards, passing yards per completion, while finishing second in pass efficiency and passing TDs. With a combined 71 receptions for 1,034 yards and nine TDs, UNC’s tight end room was one of only two in the country to rank in the top five nationally in each category.

Prior to joining the staff at UNC, Lindsey was the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at UCF in 2022. The Knights’ offense ranked 26th nationally in scoring (34.4 ppg), 11th in total offense (480.6 ypg) and eighth in rushing offense (236.1 ypg). UCF rushed for 200-plus yards in nine games during the 2022 season and its 33 rushing TDs led the AAC and tied for 10th nationally.

Lindsey spent three seasons as head coach at Troy (2019-21). The Trojan offense ranked 21st nationally in pass yards during his second season and PFF ranked the offensive line ranked third in the country in pass blocking efficiency, allowing just nine sacks, six quarterback hits and 45 hurries for 60 total pressures. During his initial season leading the Trojans, the offense topped the 500-yard mark in total offense in six games to tie the program’s Division I record. Troy also scored 35-plus points in eight contests, which was the second most in program history and fourth most in Sun Belt history. The Trojans finished ninth nationally in passing offense (313.2), 25th in scoring offense (33.8) and 18th in total offense (456.3).

Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Troy, Lindsey was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn during the 2017-18 seasons. This was his second stint with the Tigers after serving as an offensive analyst during the 2013 season when the program won the SEC Championship and appeared in the BCS National Championship Game. During the 2018 season, his second as OC, the Tigers defeated Pac-12 Champion Washington, a nationally-ranked Texas A&M squad and won the 2018 Music City Bowl with a commanding victory over Purdue.

Lindsey directed an Auburn offense in 2017 that became just the eighth in SEC and first in school history to rush and pass for 3,000 yards in a season. The Tigers ranked 26th nationally in total offense and set an Auburn record with 327 in SEC action. They won the SEC West Division title after knocking off top-ranked foes in Georgia and Alabama over a three-week stretch. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham, an All-SEC selection, became the second player in school history to throw for 3,000 yards in a season while leading the conference and listing ninth in the NCAA in completion percentage. Running back Kerryon Johnson was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and Ryan Davis set the Auburn receiving record with 84 receptions. He returned to Auburn after serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State in 2016.

Lindsey earned his first opportunity coordinating an offense at Southern Miss during the 2014-15 seasons. The Golden Eagles broke five single-season school records in 2015 – completions (312), passing yards (4,263), total offense yards (6,758), TDs (67) and points (528) – on the way to a Conference USA West title and a berth in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Washington. During this time, Lindsey developed Conference USA 2015 Offensive Player of the Year and NFL quarterback Nick Mullens, who ranked second in the league in passing yards (4,145) and TD passes (36) and ranked in the top eight nationally.

That 2015 offense at Southern Miss ranked fifth in the nation in total TDs, seventh in total points, eighth in total passing yards and completions and 12th in points per game and passing yards per game. The national leader with 102 explosive plays, Southern Miss was just the second school in FBS history with a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard receiver and two 1,000-yard rushers.

Before accepting his initial position at Auburn, Lindsey was the head coach at Spain Park High School (Alabama) in 2011 and 2012, leading the school to its first 6A regional championship.

Lindsey accepted the quarterbacks coaching position at Troy in 2010 after a distinguished career as a prep coach in Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia from 1997 through 2009. At Troy, he coached Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Corey Robinson and helped guide the Trojans to their fifth consecutive conference championship. Robinson set a school record for completions (321) that season while his 3,726 passing yards rank as the second most in Troy history. Troy totaled the second most passing TDs (33) and completions (340) in a season in school history.

Lindsey played football at the University of North Alabama before transferring as a student to Alabama, where he received his bachelor’s degree in history and English in 1997. He earned a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Phoenix in 2005. A native of Madison, Alabama, Lindsey graduated from Bob Jones High School, where he was a three-sport letterman.

Lindsey and his wife, Cecily, have four children: Claire, Caroline, Cooper and Conner.

Chip Lindsey leaves UNC to take OC job at Michigan

A UNC football coach is headed to the Big Ten.

With a big coaching change potentially on the horizon, North Carolina’s staff will look a lot different next season. And already, one coach is on his way out and has found a new home.

After being named a candidate for the Michigan offensive coordinator job, Chip Lindsey has officially accepted the job per multiple reports. He leaves UNC after just two seasons and will now head to the Big Ten to join the Wolverines staff.

Prior to joining UNC’s staff, Lindsey spent three years as the head coach at Troy, going 14-19 in that span. He has experience at both the college and high school level while also working under Mack Brown, Todd Monken, and Gus Malzahn.

While at North Carolina, Lindsey coached Drake Maye for one season before he went on to be the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. This year, UNC’s offense struggled early with an injury to Max Johnson.

It eventually got going when Jacolby Criswell took over the starting job from Conner Harrell but UNC faltered down the stretch.

He heads to Michigan where he will have the task of turning around one of the worst offenses in college football. However, Michigan does have five-star quarterback prospect Bryce Underwood coming in.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Michigan football makes offensive coordinator hire per report

#Michigan got its guy. #GoBlue

Sherrone Moore needed to quickly find a replacement at offensive coordinator after firing Kirk Campbell from the same post last week. And a week later, it appears as if Michigan football has found its guy.

Though there were tons of rumors as to who could come into Ann Arbor and file the role — from Dan Mullen, Byron Leftwich, Joe Craddock, Brennan Marion, and Jason Candle — Sherrone Moore made a pull of an experienced coordinator who hadn’t really been mentioned until recent days.

According to 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the Wolverines are hiring Chip Lindsey, who most recently was the offensive coordinator at North Carolina.

 

Lindsey is 50 years old and has a ton of experience. Having gotten his start in high school football in Alabama, he was the QB coach at Troy, an offensive analyst at Auburn, the OC and QB coach at Southern Miss, Arizona State, Auburn, the head coach at Troy, the OC at UCF, and then North Carolina.

Considering his work with Todd Monken and Gus Malzahn, he’s got some bona fides in offense, but also worked with Drake Maye in his final season in Chapel Hill.

Chip Lindsey speaks out on UNC QB battle

OC and QB coach Chip Lindsey gives insight into Chapel Hill starting QB battle.

There is no secret in Chapel Hill that the biggest football decision still yet to be made is the person who will lead the North Carolina Tar Heels offense under center. With Drake Maye in the NFL, graduate transfers Jacolby Criswell and Max Johnson fight with Maye’s 2023 backup Conner Harrell for the starting role.

Last year at Texas A&M, Johnson threw for 1,452 yards and nine touchdowns with five interceptions. Criswell spent last season with Arkansas where he threw for 143 yards and three touchdowns. Backing up Maye in his freshman season, Harrell threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.

We haven’t heard a lot from the coaching staff on the decision, but offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chip Lindsey spoke in depth today on the ability of the three guys and who the leader might be.

“I think all three are eager learners, they study, and if we can limit mental errors on the field, I think all three have the ability,” Lindsey said. “I really enjoy being around them and I think they are all growing and getting better each and every day.”

Watch Lindsey’s presser here;

One thing is for sure, they are taking their time. It wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t know who the starter is up until a few days before Minnesota. However, Johnson looks like the favorite for now.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

North Carolina’s OC agrees with Eliot Wolf’s assessment of Drake Maye

North Carolina OC Chip Lindsey believes Drake Maye has “everything you want” in a quarterback

New England Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf made an assessment of rookie quarterback Drake Maye on draft night, and Maye’s former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Chip Lindsey, is on the same page as well.

Wolf cited Maye’s ability to elevate his teammates in college as a reason for the Patriots drafting him with the No. 3 overall pick. The former North Carolina quarterback threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his final collegiate season.

Maye’s ability to elevate his teammates could be something of importance to New England, as the organization is looking to rebuild their entire offense. Lindsey agrees with the assessment of the quarterback making people around him better, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Sean T. McGuire.

“He did a great job of making everybody play their best. Everybody elevated their game when he played,” Lindsey said. “…I think Drake’s gonna transition really well. He’s extremely competitive and really, really smart. Football IQ is off the charts.

“He’s got everything you want. He’s got all the intangibles and he’s talented. Anytime you have that combination you’re gonna have a really good player, and I think he’ll adapt really well.”

This is a challenging situation for a rookie quarterback to come into. New England has had to rebuild the entire offense, and the quarterback is certainly a big part of that.

The organization has needed stability at the position, and Maye has the characteristics to get it done.

UNC football OC Chip Lindsey in running for prestigious coaching award

Thanks to the Tar Heel offense being among the nation’s best, offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey is in running for a prestigious award.

The UNC football team has produced on offense at a historic rate this year.

Carolina’s scored 31 points in all but one game this year, including 100+ points in its past two games against Campbell and Duke. UNC quarterback Drake Maye is fourth among FBS quarterbacks in passing yards, while starting running back Omarion Hampton is just 15 yards away from being the nation’s leading rusher.

This type of production has garnered the Tar Heels some national attention, particularly among its coaching staff.

On Tuesday, Nov. 14, UNC offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey was nominated for the Broyles Award, given annually to college football’s top assistant coach.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzpXlIAryWj/

It’s no surprise to see Lindsey one of 57 nominees on this list, with Carolina’s offense being the main reason it already has eight wins.

In addition to Maye and Hampton being among the country’s best offensive producers, the Tar Heels are eighth in scoring (39.9 points per game) and third in total offense (520.6 yards per game) across the entire FBS. They’ll have another chance to improve upon these marks this weekend, with a difficult, 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Clemson on Saturday.

If Lindsey’s offense continues to produce in UNC’s final three games, he’ll almost certainly lock up the award.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Former Auburn OC named to same role at North Carolina

A member of Gus Malzahn’s coaching tree will call plays for Mack Brown’s offense in Chapel Hill.

A member of [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag]’s coaching tree will get the chance to call plays for a Power Five offense.

[autotag]Chip Lindsey[/autotag], a former Auburn analyst who became the Tigers’ offensive coordinator from 2017-18 under Malzahn, has been named the offensive coordinator for Mack Brown at North Carolina.

Lindsey replaces Phil Longo, who was hired by Luke Fickell at Wisconsin for the same role. As part of his new job, Lindsey will be the primary play caller for the Tar Heels offense.

After his time at Auburn, Lindsey headed south to Troy to lead the Trojans football program from 2019-21. While at Troy, he built a record of 15-19. The Trojans failed to make a bowl game during Lindsey’s era, which resulted in his dismissal.

Last season, he reunited with Malzahn to serve as offensive coordinator for UCF. The Knights ended the 2022 season with a 9-4 record and competed for the American Athletic Conference championship.

Malzahn will have to reconstruct his staff for next season. UCF defensive coordinator Travis Williams was hired by Arkansas to become Sam Pittman’s next defensive coordinator.

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Inside Jarrett Stidham’s 2,032 mile journey from central Texas to New England

Jarrett Stidham’s voyage from Stephenville, Texas to Foxborough, Mass. was a long one marked by numerous changes of fortune. When Stidham was nine years old he relocated to central Texas with his mother and older brother. At 18, he left home and …

Jarrett Stidham’s voyage from Stephenville, Texas to Foxborough, Mass. was a long one marked by numerous changes of fortune.

When Stidham was nine years old he relocated to central Texas with his mother and older brother. At 18, he left home and moved in with Matt and Katy Copeland, a Stephenville couple who own several college apparel stores in Iowa, Texas, and Florida. The talented young athlete was not raised int he greatest of circumstances and his personal life is not a topic he divulges on. He relied on football for comfort long before the Copleands accepted him as one of their own. This is where his journey begins

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(Jarrett Stidham and his wife Kennedy pictured with Katy and Matt Copeland in 2018)

“I probably love the kid even more because his home dynamics were so rough,” former Stephenville High School football coach Joseph Gillespie said about Stidham. Before he became The University of Tulsa’s defensive coordinator, Gillespie served as Stephenville’s athletic director and head football coach for seven years. It was during his seven year career at Stephenville that Gillespie realized he had caught lightning in a bottle with Jarrett Stidham.

Stidham began his playing career at Stephenville as a wide receiver. By the time he was a sophomore he’d already received multiple Division I offers to play quarterback. The Yellowjackets went on to win the state championship Stidham’s sophomore year, during which Gillespie said, “Jarrett never complained once. He handled it with grace, and that’s hard to do at that age.”

Stidham earned the starting quarterback job as a senior in 2014. He finished his high school career with 2,934 total passing yards for 35 touchdowns as well as 969 rushing yards for 15 touchdowns. Gillespie credited the Copelands for helping Stidham thrive. The road from wide receiver to starting quarterback wasn’t an easy one, but Gillespie says, “if it weren’t for them it would have been a rougher road.”

By the spring of 2015, Stidham was classified by Rivals.com as the sixth-best dual-threat quarterback in his class which caught the eye of former Stephenville football coach Art Briles who was the head coach of Baylor at the time. By the summer it was official, the 4-star quarterback was leaving Stephenville to play football at Baylor.

At the start of his true freshman season Stidham was playing as the backup to Seth Russell. Stidham saw action in the first seven games before he took over as the starter when Russell suffered a season-ending neck injury. Stidham started for Baylor in three games before an ankle injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

And then all hell broke loose.

In 2016, a scathing report revealed that much of Baylor University’s football staff had failed to take disciplinary action surrounding alleged rape and sexual assault allegations made against three Baylor football players. The scandal saw the end of Briles’ tenure at the school as well as the destruction of the program’s reputation. After all of this and an unsatisfactory freshman season, Stidham left and transferred to McLennan Community College.

Stidham attended McLennan for only one season before he announced he would be transferring to Auburn. McLennan did not have a football program, so to sharpen his skills he asked Midway High School’s football coach Jeff Hulme if it would be okay to sharpen his skills at their practice field. Hulme obliged and Stidham showed up to the field every day before practice began.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback would’ve liked to have flown under the radar the entire semester, but when a mysterious NFL caliber athlete shows up on a high school practice field in Texas it’s going to cause mass hysteria.

Which it did.

Hulme honored Stidham’s wishes to remain incognito as long as possible, but when school started the coach had to reveal Stidham’s identity to quell any surrounding gossip. After his secret was revealed Stidham continued to practice his skills on Midway’s scout team. It was an experience that proved to be beneficial in readying Stidham for his SEC arrival.

As a redshirt sophomore, Stidham won the starting quarterback job at Auburn. In his first season he went on to win the SEC West after defeating both Georgia and Alabama who were both ranked number one at the time. He finished the season with 3,158 passing yards which places him second all-time behind Dameyune Craig in Auburn’s single season passing leaders.

Former Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey compared Stidham to former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and said that Stidham is just “wired the right way,” and that he “ran the gauntlet in the SEC.” As Stidham entered his junior year, many thought he was a first-round draft pick and a potential Heisman contender, but things didn’t quite come together like they should’ve that season. After finishing the year with a convincing bowl win, Stidham declared for the 2019 NFL Draft and was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn says New England is just the place Stidham wants to be:

“This is what he’s been wanting. He’s been looking forward to the moment. It’s really not any deeper than that. If you’d given Jarrett a choice in the matter, I bet he would have picked New England and hoped to follow Tom Brady.”

Chip Lindsey’s comparison of Stidham to Newton only gets better with the two competing against each other in New England’s quarterback race. ESPN’s Tim Keown details his prediction of Stidham’s future:

“If Stidham doesn’t take over for Brady this season (assuming there is one), there’s a good chance he will in 2021. At just 31, Newton is looking to put together a season that creates one more big contract, which means if he’s good he’ll be too expensive and if he’s bad he’ll be on his own. Which will, one more time, direct the focus back to Stidham.”

Whenever the moment arrives it won’t be one that is too big for Jarrett Stidham. The road he took from Stephenville, Texas hit a road bump at Baylor, took a detour at Midway, and merged onto the expressway in Auburn that would eventually send him 1,173 miles north to Foxborough, Massachusetts. In total Stidham has traveled 2,032 miles to be where he is today.

“The quarterback from Texas” as he is affectionately known by Auburn fans and one dimensional sports broadcasters everywhere is reportedly putting up a tough fight against Newton in the NFL’s most watched quarterback race. New quarterback race developments here.

Fighting for his dreams isn’t a foreign concept to Jarrett Stidham, it’s what he’s been doing all of his life.

PODCAST: Troy head coach Chip Lindsey

PODCAST: Troy head coach Chip Lindsey

Chip Lindsey enters his second season as Troy’s head coach in 2020.

Troy went 5-7 last season and will kickoff the 2020 campaign Sept. 5 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Trojans will play at Tennessee Nov. 21.

Lindsey previously served as offensive coordinator at Southern Miss, Arizona State and Auburn. He was also a head coach at Lassiter High School (2008-09) and Spain Park High School (2011-12), along with serving as offensive coordinator at Hoover High School in 2007.

Lindsey joined the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days” to discuss the Troy program, his coaching career and his time knowing UT head coach Jeremy Pruitt.

The show can be listened to here or below.

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