5 months ago
- Wolverines
- Published: Dec. 29, 2025, 10:30 a.m.
ORLANDO, Fla. — You tin count Biff Poggi among nan folks who o.k. of nan Kyle Whittingham hire.
Michigan’s interim caput coach called Whittingham “a cleanable fit” Monday, calling nan 66-year-old erstwhile Utah coach “a awesome hire” and “very likable” guy.
“The kids are existent excited astir him,” Poggi told reporters Monday during a Citrus Bowl squad outing astatine area amusement parkland Fun Spot America. “I deliberation our fans are really excited astir him. I deliberation he’s going to beryllium conscionable what nan expert ordered.”
Whittingham was formally introduced arsenic nan program’s 22nd caput coach connected Sunday, erstwhile he laid retired his imagination for a tough, physical, gritty shot squad successful nan aftermath of Sherrone Moore’s firing connected Dec. 10.
He attended believe connected Sunday and was invited to speak to nan squad afterward, Poggi said, laying retired his expectations for nan players arsenic he gets fresh to return complete aft Wednesday’s crippled against Texas (3 p.m., ABC).
“Disciplined, toughness, doing nan correct things,” Poggi said. “Look, he’s really older than I am, and that’s what I deliberation we mightiness request astir here. A small spot of big supervision, and get everybody backmost to what you’re expected to do.”
Poggi moreover went 1 measurement further, calling Whittingham — who spent nan past 3 decades astatine Utah, including nan past 21 years arsenic caput coach — a throwback to nan “glory days of Michigan football.”
“And that’s what I deliberation he is,” Poggi said. “We had a bully speech (yesterday). We’ve texted backmost and forth. I asked him to speak to nan team.”
Whittingham is readying to walk nan adjacent mates of days gathering individually pinch players, speaking to nan recruiting people complete nan phone, and assembling his staff. He’s already had “brutally honest” conversations pinch nan existing unit astir their apt dismissal, but near nan doorway unfastened to support a mates of assistants.
Poggi expects him to beryllium connected nan sideline for nan vessel crippled astatine Camping World Stadium. And no, he didn’t consciousness nan request to connection up immoderate proposal earlier taking complete nan reins.
“I don’t person immoderate proposal to springiness a feline who’s won 180 assemblage shot games,” Poggi said. “That’d beryllium for illustration maine giving Dr. Ben Carson proposal connected really to do encephalon surgery.”
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Aaron McMann is nan main hit writer covering nan University of Michigan shot programme for MLive Media Group, wherever he's worked since 2014. He went from covering precocious schoolhouse sports successful nan Flint area to a...
