Kyle Whittingham was a great hire for Michigan on the heels of a scandal and a clumsy coaching search. They swung and missed for Kalen DeBoer and Kenny Dillingham, sent out feelers for Jedd Fisch, but wound up with a successful and respected coach who can stabilize the Wolverine program after a rocky two years.
In 21 seasons at Utah Whittingham compiled a 177-88 record, 11-6 in bowls. Though he owned Mario Cristobal and aced the Cristobal Ducks out of a couple of PAC-12 Championships, Dan Lanning owns a 2-0 record against Whittingham and the Utes, notably thumping a No. 13 UU squad in Salt Lake City 35-6 behind 248 yards passing and two touchdowns from Bo Nix.
Michigan comes to Autzen Stadium next fall in the Big Ten schedule rotation.
While there is every reason to respect Kyle Whittingham, there is no reason to fear him. As Wolverine coach he'll bring stability, integrity and discipline to a program that's been rocked by impropriety. The 66-year-old coach will restore the Maize and Blue by building a sound defense and a stout offensive line while promoting discipline and fundamentals. He has a well-deserved reputation for doing things the right way.
Whittingham gives Michigan what they sought in a 'Michigan Man' without being one
Someone said on Twitter that Whittingham follows five women on Instagram and he's related to all of them. In that way he'll be a refreshing change, a moral man who focuses on football. Although he's not a long-term solution in Ann Arbor, he'll right the ship.
His sound philosophy coupled with ample donor money will keep UM in the 9-10 win range, though he's a long way from his peak season in 2008 when the Utes went 13-0 playing out of the Mountain West and beat Nick Saban and Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
In 13 seasons in the PAC-12, Whittingham won 10 or more games four times with two conference titles. Since moving to the Big 12 in 2024, he's gone 5-7 and 10-2, losing to Texas Tech and BYU this year to finish third. He won't coach the team in the Las Vegas Bowl; he'll be on the sidelines when the Wolverines play Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on January 31st.
The Big Ten is already 4-0 in bowls with a decent chance of capturing its third straight national championship. With the hires of Matt Campbell at Penn State and Whittingham in Ann Arbor, the conference has stabilized two of its biggest brands after clumsy coaching searches, bringing in two tough-minded guys with a reputation of overachieving with three-star players, much like Curt Cignetti has done at Indiana.
Top-to-bottom, the Big Ten has the strongest coaching lineup in college football, especially after the hires of Pat Fitzgerald at Michigan State, Campbell and Whittingham. P.J. Fleck just won his seventh bowl game in a row at Minnesota. Northwestern beat Central Michigan Friday, 34-7 to complete a winning season and their sixth straight bowl win.
NIL has created more balance and parity in college football while concentrating top talent at schools with the most aggressive donors. TTU and Indiana have shown how a savvy coach can turn around a program quickly with skillful use of the Transfer Portal and a cohesive coaching philosophy.
A change of scenery should invigorate Whittingham and the resources he'll have at Michigan give him new tools, though he lacks recruiting ties in the East and Midwest. He's working on bringing over his Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck, which should help him in both keeping and developing Bryce Underwood, the most talented quarterback he's had after winning big with Alex Smith, Tyler Huntley and Cam Rising.
Jason Beck is one of the best offensive coordinators in the country.
— Thad Wells (@ThadWells) December 26, 2025
Here's a look at what Michigan—and Bryce Underwood—will be getting if Kyle Whittingham can get him to come.
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Sound game coach, strong evaluator, program builder has to reinvent himself
In Ann Arbor, Whittingham will have increased resources but outsized expectations. The standard there is 10 wins, a playoff berth and beating Ohio State. While capable, organized and experienced, he'll have to grow and adapt to thrive there, renew his competitive fire.
The biggest threat he poses to Lanning and the Ducks lies in his knack for recruiting quality players in the trenches. Oregon and Michigan will continue to butt heads in the search for premium prospects at linebacker and offensive and defensive tackle, which are often scarce in the West.
Now Whittingham has the power of a premium brand, after years of developing guys for the NFL. His 2025 left tackle Spencer Fano just won the Outland Trophy, a player the Ducks coveted.