Gut reactions to hire of Chip Lindsey as Michigan football offensive coordinator

Michigan football has a new offensive coordinator according to a report from Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports and it's former North Carolina offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.

Some Michigan fans might say that Lindsey is an underwhelming hire. They would be wrong. They probably said the same thing about Mike Macdonald before he was hired.

Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore needed a guy to coach an elite quarterback and Lindsey can do that. With Drake Maye playing quarterback in 2023, Lindsey's offense averaged 491 yards per game. Omarion Hampton, the Tar Heels running back, rushed for over 1,500 yards and both were selected early in the 2024 NFL draft. Maye went fourth overall.

Maye was going to be a first-round pick even without Lindsey. But Phil Longo left for Wisconsin and Lindsey came in for the final season with Maye and the offense didn't skip a beat.

In 2022, at UCF, Lindsey was the OC for a UCF offense that averaged 469 yards per game (228 on the ground). In 2017 at Auburn, running back Kerryon Johnson was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, while Jarrett Stidham threw for 3,000 yards and earned All-SEC honors.

In addition to his seven seasons as an offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for FBS programs, he was also the head coach at Troy for three seasons. It didn't work out, but it's still good to add that experience.

I know some Michigan football fans were hoping for Joe Craddock or Toledo head coach Jason Candle, who was gaining steam earlier this week. However, the more I learn about Lindsey, the more I like this move, especially for the development of Bryce Underwood.

Here are the gut reactions.

Gut reactions to Chip Lindsey being named Michigan football OC

• Bryce Underwood has to like this hire. Multiple quarterbacks who played for Lindsey have been drafted and Underwood will be the next.

• His offense have had success running and throwing. With dual-threat quarterbacks and pro-style passers -- those are all good signs.

• Running backs have had as much success as quarterbacks, which bodes well for Michigan football.

• It will be good to have a former head coach on the sideline. That's one thing Sherrone Moore didn't have last season: a former head coach on staff.

• I care much more about the play-calling than recruiting, at least when it comes to the offensive coordinator, so again, I like this hire.

• Mack Brown just got fired from North Carolina. But he's an all-time great head coach. He won a national championship and the fact that he hired Lindsey, with an NFL-caliber quarterback, is a ringing endorsement in my mind.

• This might not win the press conference but this hire will win games.