Kyle Whittingham is the right guy at the right time for the University of Michigan

By Chris Balas

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what a Michigan football coach is supposed to be. 

We’re talking about Kyle Whittingham, of course, whose nationally televised introductory press conference created buzz in the U-M fan base and beyond. There were no cliches, no “trying to win the presser,” which we said many times during the process this wasn’t about — it was about getting the right guy. 

What he did without trying is serve notice that he’s here to win at the highest level, is clearly confident in his ability, and he understands what it takes. The future Hall of Famer has already done it for 21 years at Utah, where he was revered, and now he’s going to have the resources and talent to add to his already impressive legacy. 

Anyone questioning if he still had the fire at 66 years old probably wasn’t after watching him talk for nearly 30 minutes.

“I still have a lot, a lot left in the tank” Whittingham said. “But I could count on one hand the amount of schools that if they called, I would listen and I would be receptive to what they had to say. Michigan was one of those schools, definitely a top 5 job in the country, without a doubt.

“When the ball started rolling and the more I learned about Michigan, the more excited I got. I’m just elated to be here.”

There was a lot more he talked about, too, that grabbed everyone’s attention, from culture to the way he expects to play (“physicality, toughness, and grit”). He’s had the tough conversations with the current coaching staff, adding he’d probably keep a few (running backs Tony Alford is a near lock), and plans to meet every player in the next few days for a one on one. 

But of everything he said, there was one thing that really stood out …

“You will become us — we won’t become you.” 

In the last couple years under an inexperienced coach, the culture started to erode. There were rumblings even during the season of players’ families thinking about their next potential stops, players whose selfish actions hurt the team. 

Whittingham made it clear player retention was his first priority, and he already got it started with a 45-minute meeting this morning with Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood. 

“I did a lot of listening. I wanted to get feedback from him,” Whittingham said. “I wanted to get to know him, just everything from growing up, family, what’s important to him. It was a great conversation. He’s a special young man, carries himself the right way.

“The quarterback’s got to have that ‘it’ factor, and Bryce has the it factor along with a ton of talent. He’s a big, strong kid, 6-4, 225-plus pounds, and his ceiling is very high. The offense we’re going to bring in here I think is going to suit him to a ‘T,’ and I think he’s going to really, really excel and have a great experience here.”

There will be some attrition, probably even some good players. But the coach who said he first fell in love with Michigan and Bo Schembechler at seven years old when he first saw the winged helmets sounded a lot like the former U-M head coach Sunday in being matter of fact about it. And again, it wasn’t by design — it’s just who he is.

“There is nobody above the team, and you’ve got to have everybody buy in that everybody, including myself, need this team more than this team needs them,” he said. “If we’ve got everyone on that page and understanding that concept, then that’s going to be a very positive thing.

“… I think their retention is very good here [at Michigan], but the key there is the players that are here and understand what we want, what the culture is, they’re responsible to set the standard for the guys that are coming in … you will become us and do things the way that we do things.”

With the players and resources at his disposal at Michigan and the outstanding staff he’ll bring in — BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill is almost assuredly on the way, it’s been confirmed, and there will be no weak links — the sky is the limit. Some Michigan fans complaining about his age, whatever, might not have realized it, but this is about as good as it gets. 

As for expectations? His are the same as yours.

“Michigan here … you’ve got to get to the playoffs,” he said. “That’s our expectation … that’s the bar. I mean, at the University of Michigan, how can it be any different?”

Ask anyone nationally and they’ll all say the same thing — it can’t, and shouldn’t be, with Whittingham in charge.