Veteran coach Mike DeBord, the former Indiana University, University of Michigan and University of Tennessee offensive coordinator who also held myriad other coaching roles in a distinguished career, is in the University of Michigan hospital intensive care unit after suffering a stroke and “a major brain bleed.”
DeBord, who had been lured out of retirement briefly this spring to serve as offensive coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks, prior to Les Miles' tenure abruptly ending, suffered the stroke earlier this week.
The DeBord family has asked for prayers.
“We are a family that believes in the power of prayer. We are needing all the prayers you can lend right now,” Tyler DeBord posted online.
The family said the next few days are “super critical” for the man affectionately known by his players and colleagues as “DeBo.”
DeBord was the architect behind the Josh Dobbs-led Tennessee Vols' offense that averaged nearly 36 points per game during the 2015-16 seasons, easily Butch Jones' most successful two falls on Rocky Top and the program's two-best seasons since 2008.
He also helped Tom Allen steady the Hoosiers' football program in 2017-18 and long had been a mentor to current Hoosiers offensive coordinator, Nick Sheridan.
DeBord also coached in the NFL for both the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks, as well as starting his career as the offensive line coach at Franklin College.
DeBord helped Michigan to a share of the 1997 national championship in his first of three seasons as the Wolverines' offensive coordinator. He later served as an athletic administrator at the school and also returned to serve as an offensive analyst on Jim Harbaugh's Michigan staff before he was hired at the first of this year at Kansas.
DeBord and his wife, Deb, have two sons, Kyle and Tyler.