Ninety minutes with Connor Stalions: College football's most infamous schemer plots his next step

For now, Stalions is the accidental coach of Mumford High School, but he'd love to get into coaching at either the college or NFL level. A pesky show cause penalty hangs in the air.

By Dennis Dodd Sep 10, 2024 at 11:43 am ET• 10 min read

DETROIT -- Connor Stalions certainly doesn't project as the most hated man in college football -- not on the Mumford High School practice field last week, where he was suddenly an accidental head coach.

To the Mustangs under his charge, he's just another football taskmaster barking orders during three hours of meetings and practice the night before a game.

"Coach should not beat y'all," Stalions screamed at his players.

In fact, the head coach did just that to some of the stragglers during sprints. The 28 players dressed out were dragging, but they were also learning. So was the coach leading them, best known for allegedly stealing signs as a Michigan staffer. Turns out you can't thieve the process either.

Two hours before the season opener on Aug. 29, it was determined the starting center was never actually enrolled. The wrong summer school classes had sidelined the left tackle, according to a school official briefed on both situations.