Michigan Wolverines first-year offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey has built a reputation for revitalizing offenses at his previous jobs, and his first seasons at each stop have frequently been a telling indicator of his ability to make an instant impact. Over the course of his career, Lindsey has demonstrated a knack for turning mediocre units into dynamic offenses.
“He’s been great,” Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome said about Lindsey. “He’s been immensely successful everywhere that he’s been offense coordinator, and then when he was head coach. He’s made us better. Not just by bringing in new plays, new ideas and new ways to think about things, but also the confidence. The players feed off of his energy.”
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Lindsey’s first job as an offensive coordinator came at Southern Miss in 2014, where he inherited the second-worst offense in the nation that scored just 13.8 points per game. The initial results were disappointing in his first year, but Lindsey’s unit improved dramatically in his second season, as Southern Miss exploded for 39.9 points per game (13th in the country).
His success with Southern Miss earned him a job at Arizona State in 2016, where he took over play calling duties and led the Sun Devils to 33.3 points per game.
Lindsey moved up the ladder again and landed at Auburn. Despite not being the play caller, Lindsey helped contribute to a historic offense as the Tigers averaged 33.9 points and 451.6 yards per game in 2017. The Auburn offense became even more dynamic with the addition of Lindsey’s leadership, eventually becoming just the eighth team in SEC history to record 3,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards in a single season.
After his time at Auburn, Lindsey accepted the head coaching job at Troy in 2018 and quickly turned the Trojans’ offense into an explosive unit. Troy posted 33.8 points per game in Lindsey’s first year, ranking 25th in the nation in scoring offense and leading the Sun Belt in passing offense. Lindsey then became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UCF in 2022. UCF scored 32.9 points per game behind a dominant rushing attack that averaged 228.4 yards, second most in the AAC.
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In 2023, Lindsey took over as offensive coordinator at North Carolina, guiding the Tar Heels to averages of 34.5 points and 491.2 total yards per game in his first season. With the help of future first-round picks Drake Maye and Omarion Hampton, North Carolina was considered one of the nation’s most prolific offenses, finishing seventh in the country in yards per game.
“We know he came from UNC and he had a great quarterback, receivers and running back. We know what he can do and how he can make sure that everybody’s tools will be out there on the field,” Michigan running back Jordan Marshall said. “He’s excited because he hasn’t been on a team that is this physical.”
Now, Lindsey faces his latest challenge of revitalizing the Michigan offense that ranked 113th in the nation with just 22.0 points per game last season. Given his track record, it’s safe to expect Lindsey will elevate the Wolverines’ offensive output. Michigan should be able to score right around 30.0 points per game, which would be a significant turnaround from 2024.
“He’s had great seasons and (his offenses) have been very explosive,” Michigan running back Justice Haynes said. “I feel like that has shown in camp and we’ve been really explosive. We’ve been able to do everything that we need to do, whether that’s running or throwing the ball. There are things we need to continue to work on but we can be very dynamic.”
