4 months ago
- Wolverines
- Published: Jan. 06, 2026, 4:32 p.m.
Kyle Whittingham insists that Michigan was 1 of only a fistful of schools he was willing successful listening to aft he stepped down astatine Utah.
Warts and all, nan contented and caller occurrence of nan shot programme appealed to him. He grew up watching nan Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, idolized Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes, and views nan Wolverines as a programme fresh for contiguous success.
So erstwhile Michigan came calling past period aft firing Sherrone Moore complete an inappropriate relationship, nan latest blunder successful a agelong database of embarrassing headlines involving nan program, he didn’t see nan overarching issues arsenic a deterrent.
“The spot doesn’t request a rebuild; it needs a reboot of trust,” Whittingham during a Tuesday quality on “The Dan Patrick Show.” “Get free of nan drama. Just get backmost to playing Michigan shot without each of nan distractions.”
Whittingham emphasized that nan longstanding issues — coaching and unit bans stemming from NCAA rules violations, coaches arrested for various issues, and nan programme connected probation — had thing to do pinch nan players.
Instead, he’s hopeful that a caller authorities tin thief swipe nan slate cleanable and commencement new.
“It wasn’t immoderate subordinate issue,” Whittingham said. “It was conscionable nan peripheral. Guys present person a awesome attitude. I met each azygous 1 of them astatine nan vessel tract past week. Just value young men who attraction astir academics and excited to beryllium astatine Michigan, but they’ve dealt pinch a batch complete nan past fewer years.”
Meanwhile, nan schoolhouse continues to hunt for a caller president and nan diversion department, pinch its stock of issues complete nan years, remains nan taxable of a third-party investigation into taste issues. Asked what he needed to perceive during nan question and reply process, Whittingham told Patrick he came distant reasoning “Michigan was what I thought it was.”
“It’s a typical place,” Whittingham said. “They’re committed to winning here. We do person immoderate challenges pinch entranceway requirements; location is simply a small spot of a hurdle there, but if you talk astir athletes, resources, tradition, it’s each present astatine Michigan.”
Whittingham sewage immoderate bully news connected Monday, erstwhile freshman backmost Bryce Underwood, alongside a brace of young, talented violative linemen, appeared to perpetrate to Michigan for a 2nd season. That bodes good for nan caller coach’s first season, allowing him to prime up wherever nan Wolverines near disconnected successful 2025 alternatively of rebuilding.
But there’s much activity to do. Retaining wide receiver Andrew Marsh remains a priority, on pinch rebuilding a defense that took a measurement backmost past season. While that mightiness consequence successful immoderate long, difficult talks pinch players already connected nan roster, it could besides mean dipping into nan transportation portal for contiguous help.
Whittingham has made nan rounds connected nationalist shows this week, making his thoughts astir nan transportation portal “chaos” known. He moreover remarked astir really overmuch it tin inhibit nan civilization building process.
“It is not sustainable, there’s nary mobility astir that,” Whittingham said. “Something has sewage to give. “I deliberation wrong a 4-5 twelvemonth window, I deliberation you’re going to spot a awesome overhaul successful Division I football.”
In nan meantime, Whittingham and his new-look unit proceed to deed nan crushed running. He’s only been connected nan occupation now for 12 days, but it’s been a engaged 1 gathering pinch players, building a unit and trying to get a laic of nan land.
He’s besides taken his adjacent stock of questions astir nan Michigan-Ohio State rivalry and close narration pinch Urban Meyer. These days, he’s had to switch retired his reddish Utah wardrobe for nan maize and bluish of Michigan.
“Blue was our rival astatine Utah for years,” Whittingham said. “Now I’ve sewage to get utilized to saying, ‘Go Blue.’”
Speaking Meyer, Whittingham besides had complimentary things to opportunity astir his predecessor astatine Ohio State, Ryan Day.
“I for illustration Ryan. I’ve sewage a batch of respect for him,” Whittingham said. “We played him successful nan Rose Bowl 3 aliases 4 years back. Excellent shot coach.
“I astir apt put my ft successful my rima correct there.”
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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...
