The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542609
FEBRUARY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 19 sentiment is unanimous: respect. He's your favorite coach's favorite coach, and that says everything." A FOOTBALL FAMILY GUY Though his name is synonymous w i t h U ta h fo o tba l l , W h i t t i n g h a m started out on the other side of the "Holy War" as a BYU linebacker whose father, Fred Whittingham, was an NFL player and college and professional coach. He's been around the game his entire life, has lived the coaches' life for his entire adult existence, and is con- sidered one of the best head coaches of his generation. Still a good friend of former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, whom he re- placed at Utah after Meyer went 22-2 in 2003-04, he was part of the staff that helped lead the Utes to a 12-0 record in 2004, marking the program's first-ever unblemished season. Four years later, Whittingham delivered another unde- feated team to Utah, going 13-0 with a win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in 2008. The coach only finished under .500 in three of his 21 years and notched 10 consecutive winning campaigns from 2014-23. ESPN ranked him No. 9 among active college football coaches head- ing into the season, behind only Geor- In 21 seasons as the head coach at Utah, Whittingham posted a 177-88 (.668) record, including a 13-0 mark in 2008. PHOTO BY TY KORNBLUE