The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 25 dering if he still had gas in the tank to get one of the nation's most esteemed programs back to its rightful place as an NCAA superpower. At 66 years old, Whit- tingham had been flirting with retirement for a few years, knowing he'd be replaced by coach-in-waiting and longtime Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley. As would later be revealed, though, there was much (much) more to the story. He might not have been "pushed out" at Utah, but there was certainly a nudge from outside forces. And almost everyone agreed after the fact that Michigan "failed up" during its coaching search, including an anonymous Big 12 coach who admitted breathing a sigh of relief that he no longer had to face Whittingham's teams. "It's definitely a relief that Whitting- ham is out of the Big 12 because he's a great football coach, and he's an even bet- ter person," an anonymous Big 12 coach told Athlon Sports for its annual football preview. "They cause a lot of mismatches be- cause they're plus-one in the run game with the quarterback and all the pullers and gap schemes that they did," another coach added. They've got a quarterback to do just that in sophomore Bryce Underwood, and oh … Whittingham also brought his offensive co- ordinator and the architect of that offense, Jason Beck, to Ann Arbor with him. He also brings a chip on his shoulder that should serve notice to the rest of the Big Ten: He's here to win, and to win big. Utah's Loss, Michigan's Gain But if Whittingham to Michigan wasn't on your bingo card, as they say, you're not alone. While he contemplated his future in the offseason, eventually determining he'd coach one more year before a likely re- tirement, he always left the door open. He referred to himself as a "free agent" after it got a bit contentious with the school he led to great success over a 21-year career, and it was clear it wasn't going to be the happy send-off many had hoped to see. With Scalley already named the coach in waiting in 2024, a faction seemed ready to progress with a new era. Instead, on Dec. 2, Whittingham decided he wanted one more season, reportedly asking for a $1.4 million raise, an additional $2 million for his staff, and $20 million in NIL funds to build the 2026 roster. Utah's counter — $8 million, and the understanding that Scalley and not Whit- tingham would "assume oversight in mat- ters involving football recruiting/player personnel staffing and the general man- ager position." The athletics director also insisted Scalley have "complete decision- making authority" over football recruiting, roster and staffing matters. That had to be a kick in the teeth for a future Hall of Famer like Whittingham, even if he wouldn't admit it publicly. So, when the Michigan job suddenly opened and both sides showed interest only a week later, what once seemed like a clickbait topic became possible, and then even prob- able. "Coaching takes some crazy paths that we don't really expect," Whittingham said in one interview, perhaps the understate- ment of the offseason. It included taking a lot of the Utah staff with him, along with some outstanding players in All-America defensive end John Henry Daley, All-Big 12 cornerback Smith Snowden and incoming freshman receiver Salesi Moa. A strongly worded letter from the Utah administration followed when they sent him one of his exit payments, but as the Corleone family understood, "it wasn't personal — only business." And there was a reason they all wanted to follow their leader. "There's the belief factor," new defen- sive coordinator Jay Hill told us, adding it took the combination of Whittingham and Michigan to pry him away from BYU. "If you sit down and talk football with Coach Whitt, he's the best X's and O's person I've ever been around. He understands the game well, on both sides. Offense, defense, special teams — he knows the game, inside and out. "That's why a lot of these assistant coaches are willing to come with him. It's because of trust and faith of who he is as a person, and his knowledge of the game." The chance to win a national champion- ship doesn't hurt, either, and Whittingham has made it clear the playoff is the goal at Michigan. No less than former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, his former boss at Utah, insists it's a real possibility, and he's not alone. Several in the national media called this a "win" for U-M, especially with the transition going so smoothly after the Moore debacle. Whittingham is the winningest football Whittingham, who was introduced to Michigan fans during a basketball game at Crisler Center on Jan. 2, 2026, posted a 177-88 record in 21 seasons at Utah. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL "We'll put our own stamp on the program and our own way of doing things. But I'm very respectful and very aware of all the tradition and history at Michigan. I don't have the right, nor should I have the right, to alter that or change that." WHITTINGHAM