Coordinators expect to interview for Michigan's top job

DeBord, English believe they are worthy replacements for Carr as Wolverines head coach.

Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News

ANN ARBOR -- As far as Mike DeBord and Ron English are concerned, Michigan's next head coach is on staff.

Both men, currently coordinators at Michigan, are expected to be interviewed by athletic director Bill Martin to fill the vacancy left by Lloyd Carr, who announced his retirement on Monday after 13 seasons as head coach.

The widely held view is LSU coach Les Miles, a former Michigan player and assistant coach, is the top candidate, but Martin made clear he intends to make this a national search.

DeBord, 51, the offensive coordinator, is in his 11th season with the Wolverines. English, 39, the defensive coordinator, is in his fifth season.

"I believe what Lloyd said (during his retirement speech), that the job pursues you," DeBord said. "If they ask me to interview, I'd be honored to go about that process."

DeBord said he has been told through an athletic department representative he will be interviewed. English said he wants to be included as a candidate.

"I want to interview," English said. "I would certainly want the job and I will attack the interview."

DeBord spent four seasons as head coach at Central Michigan. English has not been a head coach.

"Bill's been on the sideline, he's had a chance to watch me work," English said of Martin. "He's going to be attracted to that (demeanor), or he's not. It's very aggressive.

"I do think whoever gets the job, the one thing I would hope is that even if I'm not here, I hope he respects the lineage here and the tradition here, or else it becomes like any other place. Then, to be frank, it's not as attractive a job. It becomes one thing -- all about winning games. That's what I loved working for Lloyd. The great thing of my time here, I got the experience of the real Michigan."

DeBord said he will convince Martin he's the right hire.

"When you go into an interview for something you really want, you have to go with your gun loaded, and I'm going to have my gun loaded," DeBord said. "I would love to continue what's been here for so long. I'd like to be head coach to have the continuity for the players and the coaches. I would keep the staff intact."

DeBord is aware he will have to defend himself on several issues. While at CMU, his teams went 12-34. Three years later, Brian Kelly, now head coach at Cincinnati, led Central to the Mid-American Conference championship.

"The way I defend that is, I will say this: We went in there, we put a culture together just like Michigan, we were, it's nothing against the kids, but we weren't as talented as we wanted to be," DeBord said. "When they won the championship, those were with sophomores, juniors and seniors that our staff had recruited. We had taken a program that was at the bottom of the conference, and we elevated it recruiting-wise to go win the conference championship.

"I know what the record is, but I also do know where we started and what ended up happening and what is still happening."

He also knows the Michigan offense has its critics. The Wolverines are coming off a 14-3 loss to Ohio State last Saturday.

"Our last game last season (against Ohio State), we were playing for the national championship game, and the last game this year, we were playing for the Big Ten title," DeBord said. "I know we came up short, and even though people are disappointed, and we were disappointed, let's look at what we were playing for."

English said if he were to get the job, he would be prepared for the pressures of being head coach at Michigan.

"If you're in coaching, everybody should want to be a head coach, because you want to be able to influence a program," he said. "I like the fact that at Michigan, academics are still important and the way the kids act is still important. I think it's better to be at a place where the expectations are high."

You can reach Angelique S. Chengelis at angelique.chengelis@detnews.com.