Kyle Whittingham Officially Named Michigan’s 22nd Head Football Coach

Michigan Welcomes Kyle Whittingham to Lead Wolverines Football Program

Michigan Has Their Man.

It is official, Kyle Whittingham is the 22nd head football coach in University of Michigan history. Whittingham is locked in for five years, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, for an average of 8.2 million with 75 percent guaranteed.

University of Michigan Director of Athletics Warde Manuel is happy to say the least that he and the university have their guy.

“Kyle Whittingham is a well-respected and highly successful head coach who is widely recognized as a leader of exceptional character and principled leadership,” said Manuel. “Throughout our search, he consistently demonstrated the qualities we value at Michigan: vision, resilience, and the ability to build and sustain championship-caliber teams. Kyle brings not only a proven track record of success, but also a commitment to creating a program rooted in toughness, physicality, discipline and respect — where student-athletes and coaches represent the university with distinction both on and off the field. We are excited to welcome Kyle to the University of Michigan family as he takes the helm of our football program.”

“We are honored to lead the outstanding student-athletes, coaches, and staff who represent Michigan Football each day,” said Whittingham. “Michigan is synonymous with tradition and excellence — both on the field and beyond — and our entire program is committed to upholding those values while striving for greatness together. My family and I are thrilled to join the University of Michigan community, and we look forward to helping our players grow, develop, and reach their highest potential — on the gridiron, in the classroom, and as leaders. It’s a privilege to be part of something that inspires pride in every Wolverine fan. Go Blue!”

As mentioned in my earlier post this morning, Whittingham never said he was retiring. I still see people confused by that. He simply felt it was time to step aside and let someone else take the job at Utah. It just so happened that the Michigan job came open, and he was available.

Whether he was Michigan’s first choice or not is irrelevant. They now have a coach who built a well-respected program at Utah. In 21 seasons as head coach, he recorded 18 winning seasons and eight seasons with 10 or more wins.

“After speaking with Coach Whittingham and reviewing his record both on and off the field, I am confident he will bring dignity, integrity, and fierce competitiveness to the program, while serving as a powerful role model for our student-athletes and staff,” said Michigan president Domenico Grasso. “He also places a strong emphasis on the academic mission of college athletics, reflected in a 93 percent graduation rate, among the highest in the college football power conferences. Coach Whittingham is exactly the right fit for the University of Michigan at this time.”

Whittingham will not coach the Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl, as Utah’s Athletic Director Mark Harlan made his public statement after granting Whittingham’s immediate joining of the Wolverines.

Now he is in Ann Arbor, leading a blue blood program with some of the greatest support in the country, with football at the forefront. At 66 years old, he will embark on a new journey. This whole situation around the Wolverines football job was sudden, and I believe that Manuel, the president Domenico Grasso, and everyone involved did a great job with this hire in a timely manner.

Warde Manuel & Domenico Grasso Quotes Source: University of Michigan Athletics Release