Michigan football HC Kyle Whittingham says coaching staff nearly complete, announcements coming soon

The Michigan Wolverines‘ focus was on Wednesday’s Citrus Bowl against Texas, but new head coach Kyle Whittingham is working on acclimating to the program as he watched the game from upstairs.

Whittingham joined the ABC broadcast at the start of the third quarter of Wednesday’s game, updating his week and some key developments within the program as he builds for next year.

“Yeah, it’s been crazy,” Whittingham said. “It’s flying the airplane while you’re building at the same time. But it’s been great. I’m elated to be able to have the opportunity to coach at this great university. And the last four days, I had the opportunity to interview every single player on the TV in person. Took about 20-22 hours, but worth it.”

Whittingham’s breakneck pace through meetings with Michigan players has been impressive, but what is he actually looking to learn? He weighed in on some of the takeaways during his segment on the bowl broadcast.

“I’m just trying to find out about them,” Whittingham said. “I don’t know any of them, obviously. And so just being able to get to know them as a person, and what their expectations are in the program and how their experience has been to this point. And then obviously in this day and age, if they plan on sticking around and are they gonna stay with us?'”

A player at the center of those conversations is Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who was the first player meeting that Whittingham held on Sunday morning.

“He carries himself the right way,” Whittingham said. “The quarterback himself has to have that ‘it’ factor. Also had a chance to meet with his parents. Great parents, great family, and he’s a great leader of this football team.”

Whittingham’s biggest priority outside of player retention revolves around assembling his first Michigan coaching staff. He says that progress is almost completed and that it will be announced very soon.

“We’re just about finished,” Whittingham said. “It hasn’t been announced officially yet until somebody’s on the dotted line, and if you don’t want to get ahead of yourself, but I think we’re in good shape. I think we’ll probably have 90% of the staff named by this weekend and then finish off the last one or two.”

Rumors have Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck and BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill filling the two key spots on staff, with others, such as Utah’s Jason Harding (OL) and Lewis Powell (EDGEs) as candidates to come. Michigan is also expected to retain running backs coach Tony Alford.