ANN ARBOR, Mich. – University of Michigan J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Sherrone Moore announced Friday (Dec. 13) the hiring of Chip Lindsey as the program’s Sanford Robertson Offensive Coordinator and Robert McCollum Family Quarterbacks Coach.
Lindsey brings 27 years of collegiate coaching experience to Ann Arbor including stints as a head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. He has led offenses that averaged at least 30 points per game in nine of his 12 seasons as a full-time coach at the collegiate level.
“Coach Lindsey is an innovative offensive mind who likes to run and pass the ball with great efficiency and balance,” said Moore. “After spending a considerable amount of time together, I knew that Chip was the right fit to coordinate our offense. We share the same philosophy regarding structure, scheme and player development, and I know his leadership of the offense will place our players in the best position to succeed. We are excited to have Chip, Cecily and their children join our University of Michigan and Michigan Football family.”
“I am excited to join Coach Moore’s staff at the University of Michigan,” said Lindsey. “We share the same vision for offensive football and Coach Moore has assembled an outstanding staff that is aligned in its objectives to help our players succeed. I look forward to leading and serving the young men in this program while helping them achieve their goals on and off the football field. My family and I are excited to join the Michigan family. Go Blue!”
Lindsey comes to Ann Arbor after serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of North Carolina the past two seasons (2023-24). He ran a balanced attack during the 2024 season that averaged 32.3 points and 423.4 yards of total offense per game. The Tar Heels led the ACC in rushing offense (189.5 ypg) while the passing game generated an average of 233.9 yards per contest. UNC had three players earn All-ACC honors led by RB Omarion Hampton, who received first-team honors. Hampton earned All-American honors in both 2023 and 2024.
He directed a high-powered offensive attack in Chapel Hill during the 2023 season. The Tar Heels averaged 491.2 yards per contest, which ranked seventh nationally, and scored 34.5 points per game to list 20th in the NCAA. Lindsey ran a balanced offense, passing for 292.2 yards per game (14th in the NCAA) and rushing for 192.1 yards per contest (19th in the NCAA). The Tar Heels were one of only two programs to pass for at least 299 yards per game and rush for at least 192 yards per game. UNC also ranked ninth nationally in third down conversions at 48.4% on the year. The offense was led by QB Drake Maye, the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, and Hampton, a Doak Walker Award finalist and first-team All-American. Hampton was fifth nationally in rushing with 1,504 and scored 15 rushing TDs to rank 11th in the NCAA. Maye threw for 3,608 yards and 24 TDs and led the ACC in total yards, passing yards per completion, while finishing second in pass efficiency and passing TDs. With a combined 71 receptions for 1,034 yards and nine TDs, UNC’s tight end room was one of only two in the country to rank in the top five nationally in each category.
Prior to joining the staff at UNC, Lindsey was the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at UCF in 2022. The Knights’ offense ranked 26th nationally in scoring (34.4 ppg), 11th in total offense (480.6 ypg) and eighth in rushing offense (236.1 ypg). UCF rushed for 200-plus yards in nine games during the 2022 season and its 33 rushing TDs led the AAC and tied for 10th nationally.
Lindsey spent three seasons as head coach at Troy (2019-21). The Trojan offense ranked 21st nationally in pass yards during his second season and PFF ranked the offensive line ranked third in the country in pass blocking efficiency, allowing just nine sacks, six quarterback hits and 45 hurries for 60 total pressures. During his initial season leading the Trojans, the offense topped the 500-yard mark in total offense in six games to tie the program’s Division I record. Troy also scored 35-plus points in eight contests, which was the second most in program history and fourth most in Sun Belt history. The Trojans finished ninth nationally in passing offense (313.2), 25th in scoring offense (33.8) and 18th in total offense (456.3).
Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Troy, Lindsey was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn during the 2017-18 seasons. This was his second stint with the Tigers after serving as an offensive analyst during the 2013 season when the program won the SEC Championship and appeared in the BCS National Championship Game. During the 2018 season, his second as OC, the Tigers defeated Pac-12 Champion Washington, a nationally-ranked Texas A&M squad and won the 2018 Music City Bowl with a commanding victory over Purdue.
Lindsey directed an Auburn offense in 2017 that became just the eighth in SEC and first in school history to rush and pass for 3,000 yards in a season. The Tigers ranked 26th nationally in total offense and set an Auburn record with 327 in SEC action. They won the SEC West Division title after knocking off top-ranked foes in Georgia and Alabama over a three-week stretch. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham, an All-SEC selection, became the second player in school history to throw for 3,000 yards in a season while leading the conference and listing ninth in the NCAA in completion percentage. Running back Kerryon Johnson was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and Ryan Davis set the Auburn receiving record with 84 receptions. He returned to Auburn after serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State in 2016.
Lindsey earned his first opportunity coordinating an offense at Southern Miss during the 2014-15 seasons. The Golden Eagles broke five single-season school records in 2015 – completions (312), passing yards (4,263), total offense yards (6,758), TDs (67) and points (528) – on the way to a Conference USA West title and a berth in the Heart of Dallas Bowl against Washington. During this time, Lindsey developed Conference USA 2015 Offensive Player of the Year and NFL quarterback Nick Mullens, who ranked second in the league in passing yards (4,145) and TD passes (36) and ranked in the top eight nationally.
That 2015 offense at Southern Miss ranked fifth in the nation in total TDs, seventh in total points, eighth in total passing yards and completions and 12th in points per game and passing yards per game. The national leader with 102 explosive plays, Southern Miss was just the second school in FBS history with a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard receiver and two 1,000-yard rushers.
Before accepting his initial position at Auburn, Lindsey was the head coach at Spain Park High School (Alabama) in 2011 and 2012, leading the school to its first 6A regional championship.
Lindsey accepted the quarterbacks coaching position at Troy in 2010 after a distinguished career as a prep coach in Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia from 1997 through 2009. At Troy, he coached Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Corey Robinson and helped guide the Trojans to their fifth consecutive conference championship. Robinson set a school record for completions (321) that season while his 3,726 passing yards rank as the second most in Troy history. Troy totaled the second most passing TDs (33) and completions (340) in a season in school history.
Lindsey played football at the University of North Alabama before transferring as a student to Alabama, where he received his bachelor’s degree in history and English in 1997. He earned a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Phoenix in 2005. A native of Madison, Alabama, Lindsey graduated from Bob Jones High School, where he was a three-sport letterman.
Lindsey and his wife, Cecily, have four children: Claire, Caroline, Cooper and Conner.
