Tributes pour in for esteemed, late Indiana, Michigan and Tennessee coach Mike DeBord

Mike DeBord had a career in coaching football that spanned parts of five different decades, and he served as the offensive coordinator at some of college football's most iconic programs -- the Michigan Wolverines and Tennessee Volunteers most prominent among them.

But DeBord, who tragically passed away Tuesday less than four years after fighting through a debilitating stroke that nearly claimed his life, was far more revered for his impact on those he coached and, more importantly, his family.

"He taught me so much in life, I am so grateful the good Lord blessed me with the best Dad!," Tyler DeBord posted on Facebook. "He was a man of faith, an unbelievable dad, husband, grandpa and man! For all his successes in life, he always stuck to his small-town roots and never forgot where he came from.

"He had a great sense of faith, work ethic, love for family, football and life. His loss will be felt by many because of the impact he had on everyone he touched."

DeBord, head coach at Central Michigan to start the 2000s, was a Muncie, Indiana, native who eventually coached early in his career at his hometown school, Ball State, as well as Colorado State and Northwestern, as well as high school and small-college stops along the way. He even spent five years in the NFL with two different franchises, the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears.

Still, he was most known for his work running college offenses. He triggered things for the Michigan Wolverines in 2006-07 and ran the show for the electrifying Tennessee offense of quarterback Josh Dobbs in 2015-16, doing the best statistical work of his lengthy coaching career. The Vols won a combined 18 games with DeBord as offensive coordinator, including dominant bowl wins against Northwestern and Nebraska.

He also coordinated the offenses at Indiana for Tom Allen in 2017-18.