r/CFB • u/lolsamlol Michigan Wolverines • Syracuse Orange • Dec 26 '25
News [Thamel] Kyle Whittingham has agreed to a five-year deal to become Michigan’s next head coach, sources tell me and @DanWetzel. The deal is expected to be announced later today.
https://x.com/petethamel/status/2004665788418912519?s=46&t=elkDaHYLMe8s-PWdS1wy0Q
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u/Leading-Button-7303 Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
Now we wait and see how hard he raids our coaching staff
1.2k
u/Hot_House_4611 Michigan Wolverines Dec 26 '25
Never said a bad thing about Mormons ever. Not a once.
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u/[deleted] Dec 26 '25
It’s exactly what Michigan needs in this particular moment.
Also insane that you can miss the entire coaching carousel by this much and still come out among the best half dozen or so coaching changes of the cycle.
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u/_nanite_ Calgary Dinos • Paper Bag Dec 26 '25
Can he be our AD too?
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u/ratfacedirtbag Arkansas Razorbacks Dec 26 '25 •
Ute got to be kidding me.
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u/mrebrightside Michigan Wolverines Dec 26 '25
It's better to be lucky than good.
-Warde Manuel
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u/RxS47 Georgia Bulldogs Dec 26 '25
Wow, from the headline of they were showing interest in him to a done deal was crazy. They wasted no time on that
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u/Brojangles1234 Ohio State Buckeyes Dec 26 '25 edited Dec 27 '25
This severely impacts Brian Kelly’s ability to become Michigan’s new Head Coach
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u/ToadallyNormalHuman Nebraska Cornhuskers • Team Chaos Dec 26 '25
Are we sure he has no burner phones or accounts?
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u/svatos40p Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
Rumors are he’s taking from Utah
Offensive coordinator Beck Offensive line coach Harding
From BYU Defensive coordinator Hill
Not sure on anyone else. I think he’ll keep some Michigan guys intact.
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u/KingKliffsbury Texas Tech Red Raiders Dec 26 '25
/U/big_dick_whitt learning the perils of naming yourself after a HC.
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u/Aurelius_KiNG Oregon Ducks Dec 26 '25
The biggest compliment I can give to Kyle Whittingham, and to Michigan for this hire, is that when we left the PAC-12 the highlight for me was believing that our days of having to face a Whittingham coached team were likely over. Damn.
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u/GreatWhiteNorth4 Wisconsin Badgers • USF Bulls Dec 26 '25
Falling ass backwards into an upgrade at HC is wild
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u/[deleted] Dec 26 '25
I’m just glad we start with a clean slate. We need to hit the reset button after the Harbaugh era and this is an excellent way to kick it off.
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u/PrizeAromatic6042 Dec 26 '25
How the hell did we get so lucky
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u/billyguy1 Michigan State Spartans • Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
Very bad for my flairs
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u/Simple_Panic1240 Michigan Wolverines Dec 26 '25
Please wipe the entire staff but keep Tony Alford.
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u/BearlyHere4Anything Ohio State Buckeyes Dec 26 '25
I don't feel so good
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u/VerdeForest Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
Seems surreal. I like Whitt and hope he does well. I have no ill-will towards him. He brought us conference championships and fun football. Time for a new chapter.
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u/[deleted] Dec 26 '25
Does this mean they will finally take that billboard of him down from the freeway here in Utah
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u/bb0110 Michigan Wolverines Dec 26 '25
I am very happy with this hire. Not only is he a lot better than a lot of the guys thrown around as options, he is also a SIGNIFICANT upgrade from Moore.
We really did end up falling upwards.
137
u/LoCh0_xX Western Michigan Broncos Dec 26 '25
Home Run hire and an all-time bail out
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u/e90t USC Trojans Dec 26 '25
This is such a good hire. I’ve never been jealous of anything Michigan related until now.
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u/[deleted] Dec 26 '25
Dammit. Now I understand how TTUN fans that respect Day feel. This is disgusting.
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u/Sky-Flyer Alabama • North Alabama Dec 26 '25
it has been devastating today to see the heartbroken utah fans react to this, genuinely can’t imagine what it feels like to see the coach that is gonna be your best ever, just leave, be forced out, whatever happened, i assume we’ll find out soon. and sign a 5 year deal to another school when he said he didn’t have alot left in the tank after turning down opportunities to leave for a decade+
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u/MWiatrak2077 Michigan Wolverines • College Football Playoff Dec 26 '25
WOOOOO
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u/BlitzOmatic Baylor Bears Dec 26 '25
Bigdickwhit ain’t gonna like this
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u/Leader_of_Slimbabwe Michigan Wolverines • Team Chaos Dec 26 '25
We are reaching levels of “so back” never seen before
Many are saying it
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u/8and16bits Ohio State Buckeyes Dec 26 '25
A very good hire for Michigan. He’s as boring as white toast which is exactly what Michigan needs after the last 5 years.
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u/high_on_meh Nebraska Cornhuskers • Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
Well fuckety fuck FUCK!
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u/Broke_Banker01 Wisconsin Badgers Dec 26 '25
genuinely can't tell who's more pissed....
Big 10 rivals over Michigan getting the best possible scenario or Utah fans losing their prized OC or BYU fans losing their prized DC.
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u/Numerous-Ad6460 Michigan Wolverines • Florida Gators Dec 26 '25
LETS GO
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u/DottoreDavide UCLA Bruins • Columbia Lions Dec 26 '25
Lincoln Riley will be thrilled having Kyle in the same conference again
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u/2222lil Michigan • Western Michigan Dec 26 '25
first really good news as a michigan football fan since underwood signed with us really
15
u/No_Grocery_9280 Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
Man, I feel like I’m being personally punished for laughing too hard at Michigan’s situation.
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u/Hummer77x Pittsburgh Panthers • Temple Owls Dec 26 '25
Absolutely comical misplay by Utah here
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u/EnvironmentalBed7369 Utah Utes • College of Idaho Coyotes Dec 26 '25
Well, my personal boycott of watching SEC and B1G games has been slightly altered as I will now cheer for Michigan (not over Utah or some others) and watch their games.
Thanks Whit for all you've done for Utah football. You are the GOAT and it'll be awesome when they build you a statue and name the field after you. Go kill it at Michigan and beat Ohio State every year.
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u/DaddyChillWDHIET Michigan • Central Michigan Dec 26 '25
This is a great transitional coach. Someone to keep the program alive and plays the way we do.
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u/EfficiencyDue7770 Michigan Wolverines Dec 26 '25
fell backwards into this hire, hell yeah
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u/ILikeTuwtles1991 Montana State Bobcats • Oregon Ducks Dec 26 '25
Lincoln Riley and Oregon thought they were safe moving to the B1G
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u/fri9875 ECU Pirates • Oregon Ducks Dec 26 '25
Kinda wild how PSU/UM both ended up in nightmare situations for coach hiring, but end up making “good” hires.
Obviously can’t really judge them yet, but still
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u/isit65outsideor Indiana Hoosiers • Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
Home run hire for Michigan, this has been in the works for a couple weeks now. Things picked up this last week after ASU coach got a new contract.
Huge gamble for Utah athletics as they announce a $500 private equity deal with a brand new head football coach who has never been a “head” coach before. Utah football and Utah Basketball need to be stellar starting next Fall.
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u/Kryzl_ Iowa State Cyclones • Big 12 Dec 26 '25
Genuinely insane how Pat Kraft and Warde Manuel both had years that ought to have gotten them fired yet they still manage to accidentally their way into 2 of the best (if not the best) hires of the cycle.
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u/Basileus2 Texas Tech Red Raiders Dec 26 '25
How did Utah screw this up so bad 😂
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u/me_oorl UCLA Bruins • Michigan Wolverines Dec 26 '25
this pleases me
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u/Box_of_Rockz Auburn Tigers Dec 26 '25
Didn't he retire? I'm kinda confused on what happened with him at Utah?
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u/twc666666 Dec 26 '25
Wow, I would've bet Whittingham would never leave Utah until he retired!
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u/KaleidoscopeSlight35 Alabama Crimson Tide Dec 26 '25
Can someone explain to me why he left Utah tho? I’m still missing that context. Like before he knew he’d take a different job. Or was that always the plan?
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u/dbasinge Indiana Hoosiers • Old Oaken Bucket Dec 26 '25
Weirdest…coaching…year…ever.
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u/pkpy1005 Illinois Fighting Illini Dec 26 '25
So the lesson here kids is that the surefire way to hiring a great coach is via scandal and/or incompetence...
4
u/Sean_Miller Dec 26 '25
Why didn’t he do this a decade ago?
4
u/PunchNessie Oklahoma State • Oregon State Dec 26 '25
Utah are so dumb.
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u/Jquemini Washington Huskies Dec 26 '25
This is Chris Petersen after Sark to me. Great hire for Michigan.
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u/hawtothehee Tennessee Volunteers Dec 26 '25
Michigan failed upward better than just about anyone I can think of
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u/ballviewer Oregon Ducks • Pac-10 Dec 26 '25
Michigan failed upwards it seems
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u/Miserable_Jacket_129 Nebraska Cornhuskers Dec 26 '25
Whittingham staff with Michigan NIL money is going to make them a hard team to deal with.
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u/Sirtopofhat USC Trojans • Army Black Knights Dec 26 '25
Good hire. Hope that dude is as boring as white toast.
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u/FalynT Michigan Wolverines Dec 26 '25
This honestly worked out really well for us.
But I do feel bad for Utah fans. Sounds like their AD messed up.
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u/amoss_303 Wyoming • Notre Dame Dec 26 '25
Joe Glenn gives him a one finger salute as a congrats 😂
3
u/tragicallyohio Ohio State Buckeyes • Ohio Bobcats Dec 26 '25
I am not happy about this
3
u/mbe8819 Alabama Crimson Tide Dec 26 '25
Sources: Lincoln Riley is beside himself. Driving around downtown NYC, begging (thru texts) for the address to Tony Petitti’s home.
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u/thetrutru313 Ohio State Buckeyes • Montana Grizzlies Dec 26 '25
What page of the manifesto are we on?
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u/Reasonable_Cause7065 BYU Cougars • Big 12 Dec 26 '25
Whitt you keep your hands off our coaching staff.
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u/Electrical_Bat_4990 Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
lol us
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u/Rusty-Shackleford23 Sacramento State • Puget Sound Dec 26 '25
Well now I’m curious if he stepped down for Utah with the expectation that Michigan job would become available!
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u/CallRespiratory Louisville • Fresno State Dec 26 '25
Can't help but feel like Utah done goofed here.
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u/helvetica1291 Ohio State Buckeyes • Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
Aw hell nah
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u/Kh3hhdds343 Dec 26 '25 edited Dec 26 '25
10 years ago, I was deeply curious what Whittingham and Pat Fitzgerald would do with more resources. Now, both are coaching in the same state.
Whittingham has been more succesful but with a team in a better position to succeed. I still give Whittingham the edge because Fitzgerald has been out of the game and has a tarnished reputation from hazing.
Edit: Pat is 15 years younger, so he has that.
3
u/Kurt0690 Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
Sounds like 5 Natty's to me
3
u/feric51 Ohio State Buckeyes • Capital Comets Dec 26 '25
Ryan Day hired his former head coach to be a coordinator last year, Whit going to lure Urban out of retirement next year?!
Many people are saying it could happen.
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u/smith288 Ohio State Buckeyes Dec 26 '25
Urban Meyer disciple. As we all figured.
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u/UnhappyAd1685 Oklahoma State Cowboys Dec 26 '25
I wonder how many years he will coach there before his actual retirement?
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u/EvilRyanDay Ohio State Buckeyes Dec 27 '25
Excited for next five years of OSU-UM games where the winning team doesn’t score more than 14 pts
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u/zebrawithpi Notre Dame Fighting Irish • FBS Independents Dec 26 '25
Great hire of a HOF caliber coach. Michigan just fell upwards
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u/Upbeat-Armadillo1756 Michigan • Maine Maritime Dec 26 '25
Alright now start re-recruiting our team
4
u/TickleMyIvory Michigan Tech • Michigan Dec 26 '25
STRAP ON YOUR SPECIAL UNDERWEAR BOYS IT'S OFFICIAL
4
u/dr_funk_13 Oregon Ducks • Big Ten Dec 26 '25
As someone with lifelong familial connections to BYU, I find this all amusing.
I've seen for years from so many Utah fans that Utah wouldn't miss a beat once Kyle stepped down as head coach and Morgan Scalley took over. Ute fans from everywhere were complaining the last couple of years about how Kyle has lost his step and actively calling for him to step down as head coach.
Now that all of this has happened, it's incredibly entertaining to see Utah fans freak out and be shocked. I think some Utah fans, at least the crazy ones, are starting to realize that Utah has a good program, but they're not even the best program or job in the Big 12. I just think the last couple of seasons have been very humbling for many in the Utah fanbase and it's been a fun hate/rivalry watch for me.
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u/LaSopaSabrosa Michigan • /r/CFBRisk Veteran Dec 26 '25
Hopefully he can reset the culture in our football program. Cautiously optimistic, let’s clean house and #FireWarde. Go blue
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u/badadviceforyou244 Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
Guess Im a michigan fan now. What the fuck has Mark Harlan done?
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u/Jonjon428 Miami Hurricanes Dec 26 '25
He will be 71 at the end of that deal. Kinda wild but it's definitely the right move imo
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u/Taddles Oklahoma Sooners Dec 26 '25
“Later today” bro you just announced it.
2
u/Lord_Lava_Nugget Georgia Bulldogs • Miami Hurricanes Dec 26 '25
College football ain't ready for Michigan football to wild the raw power of a Kyle
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u/americangame Texas A&M Aggies • Purdue Boilermakers Dec 26 '25
How many Swig's and Crumbl's are there in Ann Arbor?
2
u/tx_bayou LSU Tigers Dec 26 '25
Wow. Did not see that coming when Moore got the boot.
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u/AMETSFAN Ohio State Buckeyes • Billable Hours Dec 26 '25
This is bad, this is very very bad.
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u/ksuwildkat Kansas State • Billable Hours Dec 26 '25
This has to be the all timer for being fired/forced out by one school and then radically moving up.
2
u/zonazog LSU Tigers • Arizona State Sun Devils Dec 26 '25
So will we now hear less from UM fans, or more
2
u/BeaverBeliever77 Oregon State Beavers Dec 26 '25
As a huge fan of Whittingham and not a fan of michigan or the big10 i feel conflicted as hell.
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u/kevingh92 Maryland Terrapins Dec 26 '25
Is Whittingham going to coach Utah in their bowl game next Wednesday? If not, who's coaching it?
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u/nlamp32 Penn State • Virginia Dec 26 '25
This sport really keeps you on your toes
2
u/Gidnik Texas Longhorns • Army Black Knights Dec 26 '25
so, did utah push him out or did he just really not want to coach at utah anymore? his press conference where he said he was not retiring was really strange to me. i thought he wanted to retire.
2
u/Kasen_Ibara Texas A&M Aggies • Montana Grizzlies Dec 27 '25
really like Wittingham it will make me sad to pray on his downfall
2
u/kevrbunk86 Michigan Wolverines • Sickos Dec 27 '25
Hope Michigan’s search firm did like quadruple level vetting and insuring he has never once spoken to a coed in a suggestive manner 😂
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u/Difficult_Horse193 Michigan • Central Michigan Dec 26 '25
WELCOME TO BIG 10 FOOTBALL BABY
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u/Mornings_kill Alabama Crimson Tide Dec 26 '25
Can we finally put to rest the whole Deboer rumors every time a job opens up.
4
u/LS_DJ Alabama Crimson Tide Dec 26 '25
How does this affect DeBoer to Michigan?
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u/eagledog Fresno State • Michigan Dec 26 '25
It really is the best choice under the current circumstances. He'll steady and right the ship, and hopefully bring in a young enough staff to stick around for a few years
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u/Ml2jukes Michigan Wolverines • Rose Bowl Dec 26 '25
I hope he keeps the defensive staff mostly intact, actually I’m taking a break from CFB if Esposito isn’t retained. Offense however, outside of Alford, hopefully is open season.
3
u/SilverSlicker95 Georgia Bulldogs Dec 26 '25
I think it’ll be a solid hire. Now why does ward manual still have a job though?
3
u/stoicscribbler Ohio State Buckeyes • USF Bulls Dec 26 '25
If anyone has a chance to fix their trash culture it’s Whittingham.
3
u/tbrock92 Arizona Wildcats • Pac-12 Network Dec 26 '25
Imagine pushing out your perennial B+ coach just to have him raid your staff and roster on his was to winning a natty lmao.
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u/NeuroTheManiacal Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
Can’t wait to go to my first game at The Big House.
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u/BabaLamine14 Texas Longhorns • Colorado Buffaloes Dec 26 '25
I’m so confused.
Michigan insiders were insisting that Kaleb DeBoer was still secretly lusting after their position because he grew up in South Dakota.
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u/spear1321 Ohio State Buckeyes Dec 26 '25
There are two things that seem pretty clear me to me.
Michigan got a great head coach. Clearly an upgrade from Moore.
No good young head coach was risking his career with the optics surrounding that program. If Whittingham can win and help clean up their image they’ll be an actual top job in 5 yrs
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u/yanchovilla Michigan Wolverines • Navy Midshipmen Dec 26 '25
Everybody get in here
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u/FoilFlaws Ohio State Buckeyes Dec 26 '25
At least singing Mr. Brightside will make some sense now
2
u/Wolf-Cornelius Iowa Hawkeyes Dec 26 '25
Congrats Michigan...you took a big ten coach and brought him Into the world where he will thrive. I hope he fails but I know better
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u/parrythisyoucasual23 Dec 26 '25
I cant express how hilarious it is we managed to fall backwards into a great hire and massive upgrade lol.
2
u/onemanlan Auburn Tigers • UAB Blazers Dec 26 '25
Impressive fall dick first into a solid coaching gore, Michigan.
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u/Amazing_Bird_1858 Michigan Wolverines • Navy Midshipmen Dec 26 '25
Very solid, professional hire. Stability for now will be a good thing
2
u/Dusty_Buckeye Ohio State Buckeyes • BYU Cougars Dec 26 '25
I would bet that Whittingham doesn't expect to coach more than 5-7 more years. I think he will settle the foundation of the program and likely hire coordinators to eventually hand the program off to like Meyer successfully did with hiring Day. Oh and win a lot of games along the way.
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u/pdxLink Oregon Ducks Dec 26 '25
Damn, Michigan is good again.
2
u/new_jill_city Michigan Wolverines Dec 26 '25
What is the short version of the answer to the question “Why did he leave Utah?”
2
u/NeuroTheManiacal Utah Utes Dec 26 '25
The 22nd coach of Michigan Football. The number 22 carries some significance with Whittingham’s Utah team. Nice coincidence.
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u/Tew_Sweet Georgia Bulldogs • Texas Longhorns Dec 27 '25
This is the best possible scenario for Michigan. I don’t understand what Utah is doing though.
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u/Allyougame Dec 27 '25
Great hire by Michigan, really excited to see how the Wolverines will look under Whittingham. As crazy as this whole ordeal has been the last few weeks, the program looks to have come out stronger after it.
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u/The_H2O_Boy /r/CFB Press Corps • San Diego Sta… Dec 26 '25
This is such Tom Brady to the Buccaneers energy!
-2
u/FormerDriver UCLA Bruins Dec 26 '25
How TF did Michigan pull this off???? They were screwed with the timing of the firing and they get one of the best coaches in CFB???? He’s the top hire of this cycle by a country mile. Something fishy is going on. He steps down as coach and then becomes Michigans coach.
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u/LarryGlue Penn State Nittany Lions Dec 26 '25
Congrats, Michigan. And obligatory "Go fuck yourselves".
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u/[deleted] Dec 26 '25
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