5 months ago
- Wolverines
- Updated: Dec. 28, 2025, 1:51 p.m.
- Published: Dec. 28, 2025, 1:35 p.m.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The stars aligned almost instantaneously.
Kyle Whittingham had primitively planned to measurement down astatine Utah past year, but a 5-7 play pushed backmost his timeline. He wanted to time off nan Utes and coach-in-waiting Morgan Scalley successful bully shape. Then he’d thrust disconnected into nan sunset and fig retired his adjacent move.
Retirement was an option, arsenic immoderate had surmised, but Whittingham said Sunday that he’d perceive to extracurricular calls.
“You could count connected 1 manus nan number of schools who, if they called, I’d listen,” Whittingham said. “Michigan was 1 of those schools. Definitely a top-five occupation successful nan state without a doubt.”
Whittingham was introduced arsenic Michigan’s 22nd caput shot coach during a news convention present Sunday, a stark reminder of nan fast-moving world of assemblage football. The woody to onshore nan longtime Utah caput coach was struck Friday afternoon, a five-year statement that will reportedly salary him astir $8 cardinal per year, and by Saturday nighttime Whittingham was successful Florida gathering nan Wolverines arsenic they hole to play Texas successful nan Citrus Bowl connected Wednesday (3 p.m., ABC).
He won’t coach successful nan game, but plans to walk his clip down present gathering individually pinch players, schoolhouse administrators and high-level donors. They’re each here, allowing Whittingham to quickly get a laic of nan land, perceive and statesman assembling nan staff.
And pinch nan transportation portal group to unfastened connected Friday, retaining nan roster will beryllium among his apical priorities.
“What was appealing was nan obvious,” Whittingham said. “It’s Michigan and each that entails. The tradition, nan Big House. It’s 1 of nan astir storied programs successful each of assemblage football. That was a no-brainer.”
Whittingham had go synonymous pinch nan Utah program. He joined nan unit successful Salt Lake City successful 1994 and quickly moved up nan totem pole, from protect statement coach to protect coordinator to caput coach successful 2005, a occupation he held until stepping down recently. He played collegiately astatine BYU.
Yet location was ever thing appealing astir Michigan, he admitted. He still recalls watching nan Michigan-Ohio State crippled connected TV arsenic a 7-year-old child.
“I saw those winged helmets travel retired of nan passageway and Bo Schembechler starring them against Woody Hayes, and I was hooked,” Whittingham said. “I was hooked astatine that point. That’s nan honorable truth. I’ve been pursuing Michigan shot for years.”
Whittingham wants to bring nan aforesaid physical, gritty, winning marque of shot his Utah teams embodied to Ann Arbor. He said his style of play would “fit correct successful line” pinch what Michigan fans person grown accustomed to, citing Utah’s second-in-the-nation rushing onslaught successful 2025 and extremity of stopping nan run.
“If you tin triumph nan statement of scrimmage and beryllium beingness up front, you’ve ever sewage a chance,” Whittingham said. “That will beryllium nan trademark and personality of this shot team: Physicality, toughness, and grit.”
Michigan is coming disconnected a 9-3 play nether Moore, but nan Wolverines struggled against immoderate of nan Big Ten’s champion and missed nan College Football Playoff for a 2nd consecutive season.
Under Jim Harbaugh, Michigan won 3 consecutive Big Ten titles and claimed nan College Football Playoff nationalist title successful 2023. Whittingham made clear his expectation: Getting backmost to nan playoff.
“You’ve sewage to get to nan playoffs,” Whittingham said. “That’s nan expectation; that’s my expectation. Big Ten title will evidently get you to nan playoffs, but if you get to nan 10-win people that’s usually a beautiful bully parameter that you will beryllium (in). Especially erstwhile they expand, which is going to hap astatine immoderate point.”
Whittingham was an yearly victor astatine Utah, amassing a 177-88 grounds arsenic caput coach of nan Utes, winning a Mountain West title and 2 PAC-12 titles. Eight of his 21 seasons location ended pinch double-digit victories.
He’ll effort to replicate that occurrence connected a bigger stage, pinch much resources and much talented roster.
“The clip was correct to exit Utah,” Whittingham said. “ still person a batch of power and felt for illustration ‘hey, if nan correct opportunity came, I’d beryllium each in.’ I’m fortunate nan opportunity Michigan afforded me.”
- Kyle Whittingham lays retired his apical privilege arsenic caller Michigan coach
- Michigan shot eager to showcase ‘explosive’ discourtesy successful Citrus Bowl
- Is Kyle Whittingham a bully prosecute for Michigan?
- Michigan sticks together, avoids wide subordinate opt-outs for Citrus Bowl
- Michigan QB Bryce Underwood to measurement early aft Whittingham hire
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...
