The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542609
10 THE WOLVERINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2026 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Michigan running back Jordan Marshall stepped up when Justice Haynes went down, posting a big year despite suffering a shoulder injury late in the season. He discusses Kyle Whittingham's hire and more in this Q&A. The Wolverine: What are your initial thoughts on Coach Whittingham after meeting with him? Jordan Marshall: "Good energy. He said what a coach is supposed to say, said the right things. He brings intensity, for sure. I really like that about him. He definitely is somebody that the team — when I talked to guys — that they're like, 'This guy seems like he's going to be good,' but it's supposed to be like that after the first impression." The Wolverine: Does that mean you're planning on sticking around next year rather than go to the transfer portal? Marshall: "For me, I'm just going to keep getting to know him, keep getting to know his staff and communicate with him. I want to be at Michigan, and if everything works out, I want to be here. I love this place, truly." The Wolverine: What was it like preparing for a bowl game without your coach? Marshall: "It was just getting the younger guys ready to go and play and attack ev- ery single day. It's a long bowl prep, and we can't have days wasted. That was a big thing we looked at during the three weeks. Just attacking every single day, no matter what's going to happen at Michi- gan. … It's football, at the end of the day. "Every time we step out there, we come together as a team. We trust in our coaches that are there. We go out there and just put our best out there on the field. That's what we [had] to do every single day, and attack those 15 days." The Wolverine: Did losing your coach dev- astate you as a team? Marshall: "I would say no, just because of how close we are as a family, as just players. We talk about always being a player-led team. Obviously, it sucks to have our leader go out, but I truly believe everything hap- pens for a reason, and we're going to get stronger from that moment. "It's just bringing our players together to accomplish something greater." The Wolverine: What did you glean about the team after Coach Moore was let go? Marshall: "You truly get to see what type of guys you have in your program when things like that happen. And to be around Bryce [Underwood] and [Andrew] Marsh … and all these amazing guys to help each other, that's what football's about. And I love every single day getting back to just being myself and playing football, and that's what everybody does. "When you step out there, you just go play. It's the only game that you can't let everything else affect it, and you only have a certain amount of time to play this game. So, I'll show you a blessing and just have fun." —Chris Balas ❱ Sitting Down With Michigan Junior-To-Be Running Back Jordan Marshall Marshall finished his sophomore season with a team-leading 932 yards rushing (6.2 average) and 10 touchdowns. PHOTO BY TY KORNBLUE The 22nd leader of the Michigan football program, Kyle Whit- tingham has been the head coach for more wins (177) and games (265) than any other hire in program history, coming off a 21-year run as the head man at Utah from 2005-25. That makes Whittingham the winningest and most expe- rienced Michigan head-coaching hire of all time, even ahead of Fielding H. Yost the second time he was brought on in 1925, after he had already led the Maize and Blue to 151 wins in 188 contests from 1901-23. Age is a factor here, but Michigan hasn't always hired coaches with prior experience. In fact, 10 of the previous 21 head coaches in program history didn't lead their own pro- gram before being brought on (including Yost the first time; only counting co-head coaches Frank Crawford and Mike Murphy once). The mean age of a Michigan head coach at the time of his first game is 37 years old. That is significantly weighed down by the first eight Wolverine head coaches being under 35 when brought on, but the median age is 35 — 31 years younger than Whittingham, who was born Nov. 21, 1959. Here's a look (at right) at each Michigan head coach, their age at the beginning of their tenure, their record before com- ing to U-M and where they previously coached, if applicable: — Clayton Sayfie KYLE WHITTINGHAM IS THE WINNINGEST HEAD COACH MICHIGAN HAS EVER HIRED