Kyle Whittingham conducted his first press conference as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday morning in Orlando, just a few days before the team takes on Texas in the Citrus Bowl on New
Year’s Eve.
From recruiting to his overall team philosophy, here are five of my biggest takeaways from his opening presser.
1) Whittingham details why he was interested in Michigan
As would be the case with 99 percent of coaches wanting to be the head coach in Ann Arbor, Whittingham detailed how it was a “no-brainer” to be interested in the gig.
“Well, what was appealing was the obvious, it’s Michigan,” Whittingham said. “That says it all. Michigan and all that entails. The tradition, the Big House. It’s one of the most storied programs in all of college football, so that was a no-brainer.”
2) Whittingham has “a lot left in the tank”
Being a 66-year-old coach, many fans and pundits alike have questioned how long Whittingham will be the head coach at Michigan for. By the sounds of it, Whittingham doesn’t plan on quitting anytime soon.
“I wasn’t sure if I was finished or not,” Whittingham said, reflecting on leaving Utah. “(I’ve got) a lot left in the tank … (Michigan is) definitely a top-five job in the country without a doubt … I’m just elated to be here.
“I still got a lot of energy and if the right opportunity came, I’d be all in on that.”
Whittingham signed a five-year deal with the Wolverines, so it doesn’t sound like he plans on having an early retirement by any means. Very reassuring to hear this from him.
3) The immediate priorities
When asked what his first plans as head coach of the Wolverines will be, Whittingham was quick to give another great answer — roster retention, which includes the current players and the incoming recruits in the 2026 class.
“Roster retention is job No. 1,” he said. “It’s all about players. If you got good players, you got a chance.”
Whittingham also mentioned later in the press conference that he met with quarterback Bryce Underwood earlier this morning for 45 minutes. He said he did “a lot of listening” and wanted to learn about Underwood and his family, and what thinks are important to him.
“It was a great conversation,” Whittingham said. “Special young man. The quarterback has to have that ‘it’ factor, and Bryce has that ‘it’ factor. His ceiling is very high, and the offense we’re going to bring in here, I think is going to suit him to a T.”
4) Speaking of the offense he’s going to bring in…
Whittingham didn’t provide any specific names, but he did mention he is planning on bringing in guys he has worked with in the past and that “you gotta bring in guys you’re familiar with and you trust, that’s always a starting point.” Some of the names that have been linked to Whittingham thus far include Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck, BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill and Utah offensive line coach Jim Harding, to name a few.
At the same time, Whittingham acknowledged there are “some excellent coaches” currently with the program and that “there will be some faces that stay on” to help bridge the staffs together. “I would anticipate 7-8 new guys and 2-3 holdovers” is what he said, specifically, about what he expects the coaching staff to look like.
One of the rumored holdovers is running backs coach Tony Alford. When asked about him, specifically, Whittingham called Alford a “tremendous football coach.” Whittingham worked with Tony’s brother, Aaron, at Utah before he passed away in 2013, so he has familiarity with Tony and his family.
“I have a ton of respect for Tony and we’ll see how things work out in that direction,” Whittingham said.
5) Recruiting the state of Michigan will be another priority
When asked by Maize n Brew’s Matt Hartwell about recruiting the state of Michigan, Whittingham said he and his staff will emphasize developing relationships with high school coaches to be able to recruit the best players in the Mitten State. He also mentioned dividing up the state among his coaching staff to get “plenty of coverage.”
“You always want to take care of your own backyard,” Whittingham said.
He also spoke about casting “a wide net” on the recruiting trail and going “coast to coast” to find the best players possible for the team. It sounds like that will also be reflected in his coaching staff, as he mentioned his desire to have a “diverse staff rooted in many different places in the country” to be able to recruit from the West Coast to the East Coast.
Other quick notes…
- Whittingham “didn’t have any hesitation” taking this job despite all the issues within the program and athletic department, and with there not being a full-time president in place as of today. “I got no doubt that everything is going to be handled properly … I’ve got full confidence we’ll come out here just fine.”
- On what to expect from his teams at Michigan: “Our team will fall in line with what Michigan is used to … what you can expect, physicality will be our calling card.” He detailed how he believes in running the football and defending the run” and that if you control the line of scrimmage, things should work out more often than not. “Physicality, toughness and grit” are three words he used as well.
- When asked about the resources he will have at Michigan, Whittingham said it is “absolutely” exciting and that “job No. 2 is to get with the right folks and get the resources we need to put the roster together and build it from there.” NIL will surely be a focal point for Whittingham moving forward with the “top tier” resources he will have.
- Expectations year in and year out will be to make the College Football Playoff. “That’s my expectation … that’s the bar.”
- “Family culture, without a doubt” is what you can expect out of a Whittingham-led program. “I believe in family.” One of his mantras is: “We love the players, the players love each other.” It is “about the football team, there’s nobody above the team … if we’ve got everyone on that page, that’ll be a very positive thing.”
- “My culture is going to be with the players. That’s what I’m concerned with, the players.” He also mentioned how it’s up to the older players to set the standard for the younger players and the incoming recruits, saying the players are there to set the standard. “You will become us.”
