Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges will not be retained on Brady Hoke’s staff, the school announced Wednesday.
Michigan fires offensive coordinator Al Borges
Borges was with the school for three seasons, following Brady Hoke from San Diego State.
Christian Petersen
Borges’ first year in Ann Arbor saw the Wolverines average 33.3 points a contest, but they dropped to 29.8 in 2012. In 2013, the Wolverines averaged 32.2 points per game, but lost five of their last six games (including a rout by Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl) to finish the year at 7-6 and struggled all year to run the ball, ranking No. 115 in yards per carry.
“Decisions like these are never easy,” Hoke said in a statement. “I have a great amount of respect for Al as a football coach and, more importantly, as a person. I appreciate everything he has done for Michigan Football for the past three seasons.”
While this move isn’t surprising given Michigan’s struggles, it is in that this is the first coach Borges has let go on his staff during his tenure at Michigan, and given some of the struggles along the offensive line it was widely thought that Borges wasn’t even the top guy on the chopping block - that was thought to be Darrell Funk, OL coach and message board whipping boy.
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Borges has been a collegiate offensive coordinator for the entirety of his coaching career. He spent the early portion of his career on the West Coast, getting his start at Portland State in 1986. He stayed with the Vikings for six seasons before moving on for a two-year stint at Boise State in 1993. His first BCS gig was a one-year stay at Oregon in 1995, and he made stops at UCLA, California and Indiana over the next seven seasons.
Borges got his big break for national recognition when he was hired by Tommy Tuberville to run Auburn's offense in 2004. Combining his West Coast philosophy with the Tigers' traditional power running game, his "Gulf Coast Offense" immediately took Auburn to new heights. The Tigers jumped from 26.3 to 32.1 points per game en route to a 13-0 season that featured an SEC title and a Sugar Bowl victory. Quarterback Jason Campbell went from being an average-at-best player to a first-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. The success continued for another year, but things eventually turned sour. Auburn dipped to 24.8 points per game in 2006 and 24.2 in 2007. Tuberville fired Borges after the '07 regular season.
The OC got back on his feet with Hoke at San Diego State in 2009, and he followed Hoke to Michigan in 2011.
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