I think this is a great hire for Michigan

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/michigan-kyle-whittingham-coach-utah/

Penn State right now looking at Michigan:

5 minutes ago, Ktmguy2018 said:

I think this is a great hire for Michigan

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/michigan-kyle-whittingham-coach-utah/

2008, when Utah went 13-0 and defeated Saint Nick and Bama in the Sugar Bowl, is arguably Utah's finest season with Whit with the program?

Here's the counterargument: Ooops, I hear Crickets 😁.

2 minutes ago, Ktmguy2018 said:

Penn State right now looking at Michigan:

Let's see, shall we?

Matt Campbell is 46 years old, with his own bona fides as an HC working with fewer resources than he will have at Michigan.

After being hired, Campbell made a very smart move by keeping interim coach Terry Smith, who played ball for Joe Petino and has been one of PSU's top recruiters since 2014.

Like Nick Saban, Campbell's first HC job was with Toledo, and he recruited from Gateway High School in Monroeville, PA, where Smith built a high school powerhouse.

Smith should be instrumental in keeping current players with the team.

A fun and interesting game tomorrow, 9 AM on ESPN, sees PSU vs. Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. Campbell will be there (DUH!), but Smith is the HC for this game.

There are a lot of coaches PSU and Michigan could have hired who would have given me less concern for OBD down the road. Both of these coaches are prototypical Big Ten coaches.

Oregon hosts Michigan next season and is at Michigan in 2027. Penn State visits OBD in 2027.

Ten years ago, this would have concerned me a little but I’m not sure Coach Wittingham still has it. I guess we’ll see.

His teams were always well coached and played hard.

This feels like a stop gap hire. Without seeing the contract and being in the room I'm not sure how long they are anticipating Whittingham to be there.

I kinda think 2-3 seasons. Enough time to get Michigan on track and make the playoff a time or two before looking for a younger coach.

Or ... Not.

More resources makes some elements of coaching easier and others a whole lot more difficult... Namely the expectations.

Whittingham has always been a coach to get more from less but as we've seen that doesn't always translate to higher level programs.

1 hour ago, Jon Joseph said:

2008, when Utah went 13-0 and defeated Saint Nick and Bama in the Sugar Bowl, is arguably Utah's finest season with Whit with the program?

Here's the counterargument: Ooops, I hear Crickets 😁.

It’s about to be 2026 and that was almost 20 years ago. In the modern era the right coach can get a terrible program into the playoff inside of 12 months of hire. Can Whit operate in 2026 from scratch? Will UM tolerate him going 8-4, but doing it the right way?

Very far from a sure thing here imo.

Edited 20 hours ago20 hr by JabbaNoBargain

1 hour ago, David Marsh said:

This feels like a stop gap hire. Without seeing the contract and being in the room I'm not sure how long they are anticipating Whittingham to be there.

I kinda think 2-3 seasons. Enough time to get Michigan on track and make the playoff a time or two before looking for a younger coach.

Or ... Not.

More resources makes some elements of coaching easier and others a whole lot more difficult... Namely the expectations.

Whittingham has always been a coach to get more from less but as we've seen that doesn't always translate to higher level programs.

Looks like the contract is for 5 years

ESPN.com

Sources: Whittingham, U-M agree to 5-year deal

Kyle Whittingham has agreed to a five-year deal to become Michigan's next head coach, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel on Friday.

This makes me think his Utah departure wasn't his idea....

CBS Sports - This was a 'perfect hire' for Michigan

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/michigan-hires-kyle-whittingham-coach/

Great hire for Michigan and a great fit Whit......

KW earned everything he received at Utah, including anunlimited supply of patience. Football is not life and death for the Utes administration and fans.

That will not be the case at Michigan. It is a short leach at best.

Either way, congratulations to KW! He earned this moment.

Sounds like he may have gotten a bit of the treatment Bellotti got:

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/utah-utes/2025/12/27/opinion-new-michigan-coach-kyle/

Three To-Dos for Whit -

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/michigan-hires-kyle-whittingham-utah-next-steps-underwood-poggi

3 hours ago, kirklandduck said:

Looks like the contract is for 5 years

Still in the stop gap range. He's in his 70s does he want to coach beyond 5 years? Probably not... But he has enough time to right the ship and make a run of it.

I think he was the perfect hire for Michigan to clean up their act, as he has the finest image.

We have an editor for FishDuck.com, who has helped our writers for over a decade, and she is an avid buckeye fan. When urban Meyer left, she knew quite a bit about Urban and Whittingham working together at Utah, and she wanted Whitt to replace Meyer, not Ryan Day,. Even a few years later, she repeated that preference, although I think she is probably happy with last year‘s result.

If he goes out and gets a young top level D coordinator like a next Lanning that gets groomed to take over in a few years, UM could be trouble.

During Whitt's years at Utah, he was 3-0 vs Michigan including 2-0 in Ann Arbor.

13 hours ago, Jon Joseph said:

2008, when Utah went 13-0 and defeated Saint Nick and Bama in the Sugar Bowl, is arguably Utah's finest season with Whit with the program?

Here's the counterargument: Ooops, I hear Crickets 😁.

Here is my counterargument: Age. He is too old to transition to not just a new team, but a bigger conference and a place where college football matters a lot more than the state of Utah. I don't think he can connect with the kids and bring them to Ann Arbor. You can talk x's and o's all day, but in the end, it is about bringing in the talent.

Kalen DeBoer is a good coach, but Alabama's talent level isn't quite the same as with Saban. Brian Kelly couldn't do it at LSU. Mario is surprising me at Miami. I would have thought they would have flamed out by now. But when I saw them play their playoff game, I saw a lot talent on that field. He is bringing in talent even though his offense still sucks.

Coach Wit has made a living off of bringing in overlooked 3 star guys and getting them ready to play Mtn West/Pac12/ Big 12 games - not the same as bringing in high 4 star guys from the midwest and playing Big 10 games.

Recruiting is always going to be the number one asset of a head coach. The best head coaches would also be the best used car salesmen - think about it. Chip was good here because Nike U. did the selling for him. Not so when he was at UCLA.

Chip did well with some good players, but he never got a whole team of them at UCLA.

Is coach Wit going to be able to stop kids from going to USC, Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, Penn St, and Ohio St and steer them into Michigan? I don't see it. I think they will play good quality football, but not have the star players to beat the good teams. I predict they go to bowl games every year, and that is their new upside.

Ute fans aren’t taking this well.

AutzenZoo (where hamsters turn on frequently?) on Whit's hire -

Autzen Zoo

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6 hours ago, oregon123 said:

Here is my counterargument: Age. He is too old to transition to not just a new team, but a bigger conference and a place where college football matters a lot more than the state of Utah. I don't think he can connect with the kids and bring them to Ann Arbor. You can talk x's and o's all day, but in the end, it is about bringing in the talent.

Kalen DeBoer is a good coach, but Alabama's talent level isn't quite the same as with Saban. Brian Kelly couldn't do it at LSU. Mario is surprising me at Miami. I would have thought they would have flamed out by now. But when I saw them play their playoff game, I saw a lot talent on that field. He is bringing in talent even though his offense still sucks.

Coach Wit has made a living off of bringing in overlooked 3 star guys and getting them ready to play Mtn West/Pac12/ Big 12 games - not the same as bringing in high 4 star guys from the midwest and playing Big 10 games.

Recruiting is always going to be the number one asset of a head coach. The best head coaches would also be the best used car salesmen - think about it. Chip was good here because Nike U. did the selling for him. Not so when he was at UCLA.

Chip did well with some good players, but he never got a whole team of them at UCLA.

Is coach Wit going to be able to stop kids from going to USC, Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, Penn St, and Ohio St and steer them into Michigan? I don't see it. I think they will play good quality football, but not have the star players to beat the good teams. I predict they go to bowl games every year, and that is their new upside.

I enjoyed your take, 123, thanks. And you could be spot on. My response, FWIW.😁

Whit's Utah 'culture' is the culture in Ann Arbor. Rich Rod tried to change things up with the offense in Ann Arbor, and he crashed and burned.

Whit is going to run the ball and punch you in the mouth on both sides of the ball. Utah rushed for an average of 270 yards a game in 2025, behind one of the best OLs in CFB. The passing game chipped in with 208 yards a game. These are Michigan football-like numbers. A three point loss at BYU is flipped and 1-1 Utah has a good shot at the PO.

Jason Beck is a creative OC and is likely to follow Whit to Michigan. Beck is a young coach who will connect with recruits. Beck's offense will have more appeal for skill players than Moore's offense.

Miami has a terrific recruiter in Cristobal, but the Canes also have boosters who write big checks. Michigan grad and Oracle CEO, Larry Ellison, has surpassed Elon Musk as the world's richest man, and Ellison was behind the money raised to take QB Bryce Underwood away from LSU. If Michigan wants a player, money will not be an issue.

In 2025, Michigan was a young football team. To date, no highly ranked recruit has decommitted, as they have the right to do so with a coaching change, and the roster has not been significantly impacted by players heading to the transfer portal. Whit is savvy enough to know that the roster is job No. 1.

Michigan has all the resources of Miami, superior facilities, a better game day stadium and attendance situation, and far more tradition. Plus, Michigan is a member of a much stronger conference.

No program has won more football games than Michigan. Now, Michigan has a coach with a spotless reputation; a coach Michigan boosters will align with.

No recruit and the recruit's agent will dismiss a Michigan offer out of hand. Under Whit, Michigan will continue to field Blue Chip Roster teams, including the roster he will bring to Autzen next season.

Considering the timing of the hire, I don't think Michigan could have hired a better coach. Whit has a proven track record in Power Conference football. Sumerall from Tulane to Florida, Golesh from USF to Auburn, Silverfield from Memphis to Arkansas, and Chesney from JMU to UCLA, are all P4 prove it hires. Whit, on the other hand ...

Considering the ever-changing landscape of college football, a five-year deal could be perfect timing for Michigan. The B1G has the advantage of being the first conference with a new media deal, with the new deal beginning in 2030. I think Whit will right the ship and have Michigan positioned to hire a younger coach with a proven record come 2030.

Considering the timing of the two hires, could Michigan or Penn State have done any better? I don't think so. Add in Pat Fitzgerald at Michigan State, and IMO, the B1G emerged from hiring season in much better shape than the SEC, especially considering the chaos surrounding LSU's poaching of Kiffin.

However, all of your concerns about the hire are legitimate and could play out.

HAIL TO THE VICTORS! Perhaps?

FanSided

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WRECK TECH!