The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
26 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW coach in Utah history, after all, with 177 career victories. He notched eight 10- win seasons, captured three conference championships, and led the Utes to a pair of top-five finishes in the AP poll, in- cluding an undefeated season in 2008 in which they might well have been the best team in the country. Each time Michigan had an opening, from Lloyd Carr's retirement to Rich Rodriguez's firing and beyond, Whit- tingham always appeared on our "hot boards." It was more wishful thinking than possibility, probably, but … dare to dream, right? It just seemed like a fit. And while many were skeptical this time given the coach's age, he proved from Day 1 — when he interviewed every player on the team, to everything he's done since — that we were right, even before he's coached a game. In short, and as Hill told us in an inter- view, he seems to be exactly what Michi- gan needs right now. He's a humble but incredibly competitive man who "gets" what it means to be the Michigan coach. "The tradition, the history here is in- credible," Whittingham said. "It's as steeped as any program in the coun- try, maybe the most in that aspect. And Michigan football, before I got here and after I leave, is Michigan football. I'm re- ally in more of a custodial role here, just making sure I'm not here to change any of that tradition or history. "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." 'Coach Of All Coaches' "Getting Michigan" is part of what it takes to be successful at U-M, as we've seen over the years with both football and basketball coaches, and it's clear Whit- tingham has that part down. That's some- times misconstrued to mean "a Michi- gan man has to coach Michigan," or that a candidate has to know all the traditions, etc., to be qualified. Guys like John Beilein and Dusty May on the hoops side, and Bo Schembechler in football shot that down long ago, coming from outside the program to do it the Michigan way. The "right" coach for U-M, historically, is someone committed to operating with in- tegrity, making sure the players are doing what they're supposed to do in the class- room and off the field, and — of course — winning. Defensive line coach Lou Es- posito was only with Whittingham for a few months before moving on to the Bal- timore Ravens, but he saw enough to know "Whitt" was a great fit in that respect. "All he cares about is family and foot- ball. He was an absolutely awesome guy to work for," Esposito said. "He's a great man, super smart, remembers everything, and a really, really good football coach. "In the few conversations we had about football, I was extremely impressed. The Whittingham's Year-By-Year Record Overall Conf. Year School Record Record Bowl (Result) 2004* Utah 1-0 0-0, MWC Fiesta vs. Pittsburgh (W, 35-7) 2005 Utah 7-5 4-4, MWC Emerald vs. Georgia Tech (W, 38-10) 2006 Utah 8-5 5-3, MWC Armed Forces vs. Tulsa (W, 25-13) 2007 Utah 9-4 5-3, MWC Poinsettia vs. Navy (W, 35-32) 2008 Utah 13-0 8-0, MWC Sugar vs. Alabama (W, 31-17) 2009 Utah 10-3 6-2, MWC Poinsettia vs. Cal (W, 37-27) 2010 Utah 10-3 7-1, MWC Las Vegas vs. Boise State (L, 26-3) 2011 Utah 8-5 4-5, Pac-12 Sun vs. Georgia Tech (W, 30-27 OT) 2012 Utah 5-7 3-6, Pac-12 — 2013 Utah 5-7 2-7, Pac-12 — 2014 Utah 9-4 5-4, Pac-12 Las Vegas vs. Colorado State (W, 45-10) 2015 Utah 10-3 6-3, Pac-12 Las Vegas vs. BYU (W, 35-28) 2016 Utah 9-4 5-4, Pac-12 Foster Farms vs. Indiana (W, 26-24) 2017 Utah 7-6 3-6, Pac-12 Heart of Dallas vs. West Virginia (W, 30-14) 2018 Utah 9-5 6-3, Pac-12 Holiday vs. Northwestern (L, 31-20) 2019 Utah 11-3 8-1, Pac-12 Alamo vs. Texas (L, 38-10) 2020 Utah 3-2 3-2, Pac-12 — 2021 Utah 10-4 8-1, Pac-12 Rose vs. Ohio State (L, 48-45) 2022 Utah 10-4 7-2, Pac-12 Rose vs. Penn State (L, 35-21) 2023 Utah 8-5 5-4, Pac-12 Las Vegas vs. Northwestern (L, 14-7) 2024 Utah 5-7 2-7, Big 12 — 2025 Utah 10-2 7-2, Big 12 Las Vegas vs. Nebraska (W, 44-22)* TOTALS 177-88 109-70 11-6 (.668) (.609) (.647) * Whittingham did not coach in the 2025 bowl game, so the win is not included among his totals Whittingham is Michigan's eighth head coach since 1969, when Bo Schembechler took over for Bump Elliott. All but one (Rich Rodriguez, 2008) won at least eight games in their first season at the helm. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL