Kyle Whittingham’s era has officially begun at Michigan, as the long-time Utah coach steps in as head coach amid program unrest following Sherrone Moore’s firing. Whittingham is expected to translate his proven success to the Wolverines while guiding the program back to the College Football Playoff for the 2026 season.
Urban Meyer Calls Kyle Whittingham Key to Michigan Overhaul
Whittingham is taking over a Michigan program that has been embroiled in controversy over the past four years. From NCAA investigations into a sign-stealing scandal to the firing of Moore following a personal scandal, the Wolverines have frequently made negative headlines.
Former college football coach Urban Meyer discussed Whittingham’s hiring on his “The Triple Option” podcast on Tuesday, discussing how it could help erase the program’s recent controversies.
“Right now they need someone to steady that boat because that boat, you know, there’s a time when that boat had holes in it,” Meyer said. “And it’s been that way for several years, you know. And I get really upset with the guys at Fox, and sometimes when they say Well, everybody’s doing it.”
“No, everybody’s not doing that stuff. No, that’s not happening. And so there needs to be a cleansing, there needs to be, and this is the guy to do it. I know he’ll. I know who he’s hiring. He’s already told me he’s gonna hire a hell of a staff. And he’s gonna give everything he can for five years and try to get that program right and go lift the ultimate prize.”
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Whittingham succeeded Meyer as Utah’s head coach in 2005 after serving as his defensive coordinator. He managed a 177-88 record in the last two decades with the Utes, including a perfect 13-0 season in 2008, capped by a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama.
Meyer is optimistic about what Whittingham brings to Ann Arbor, but he also acknowledged a major challenge for the new Michigan head coach.
“The media scrutiny is nothing compared to what he’s getting ready to get hit in the face with now,” Meyer said in the same episode of his podcast. “Especially, back in the day, Kyle brought Utah from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 to the Big 12. So, it became a little bit more pressing.”
“But this one, this is one of the top five jobs out there. The scrutiny… I can’t remember where the media just jumps right over recruiting and all that. In Ann Arbor now, it’s every day. So, everything is going to be evaluated. Everything is going to be scrutinized, and I think that’s going to be a little different for Kyle.”
Whittingham arrives in Ann Arbor at a time when Michigan is aiming to return to its former glory and is currently focused on rebuilding the roster through the NCAA transfer portal. The Wolverines have already received their first transfer portal commitment in the Whittingham era, as Pitt’s Nico Crawford committed to the Wolverines on Tuesday. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Whittingham also retained some key players amid the coaching change, including offensive linemen Andrew Babalola and Blake Frazier, with the latter receiving a 74.9 rating in the PFSN College Football Player OL Impact Metric.