Florida is typically where people go when they’ve decided to call it a career.
For Kyle Whittingham, the Sunshine State is where he’ll begin the next chapter of his illustrious college football career. It’s where the 66-year-old was formally introduced as the 22nd Michigan Wolverines coach on Sunday.
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“What an honor it is to be here; what a privilege it is to be able to coach this football team,” he said.
Whittingham, who recently stepped away as coach at Utah after more than two decades, was in Orlando to catch up with his new team, which is preparing to face Texas in Wednesday’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
“When I stepped down a couple of weeks ago, I wasn’t sure if I was finished or not,” Whittingham said. “I still have a lot left in the tank, but I knew there were about a handful of schools that if they called, I would be receptive to what they had to say. Michigan was one of those schools.”
Michigan, meanwhile, was looking to reboot itself following several years of embarrassing scandals.
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The football program had been under NCAA investigation for sign-stealing, which resulted in massive fines, a show-cause order for former coach Jim Harbaugh, and a multi-game suspension for then-coach Sherrone Moore.
Most recently, the school fired Moore after an internal investigation found that the 39-year-old had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
Moore was later arrested and charged with third-degree felony home invasion, along with misdemeanor charges of stalking and breaking and entering, after he allegedly broke into the home of a female staff member with whom he was having a multi-year relationship.
Athletics director Warde Manuel said Whittingham has a proven record of success.
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“He has run his program with the highest integrity and everyone we talked to either started or ended their statement about him with his character,” Manuel added.
“He was on our radar from Day 1. He was part of the early conversation about coaches and the people we wanted to look at.”
Whittingham said the timing just worked out for Michigan to contact him shortly after he announced his decision to step down as Utah’s coach on Dec. 12.
“I did not expect that,” he said of the call from Michigan. “It was, ironically enough, the timing was almost the same when I stepped down and when this job came open, it was within a day or so of each other.”
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Whittingham reiterated that his decision to leave Utah was just about not wanting to be in one place too long.
“I didn’t want to be that coach who stayed too long in one place,” Whittingham said. “I still had a lot of energy and felt like if the right opportunity came along, I would be all in on that.”
Whittingham was 177-88 in 22 seasons with the Utes, including an 11-6 record in bowl games. He was voted Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2022 and Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2008.
Biff Poggi, who has been serving as interim coach, will coach the Wolverines in the bowl game. Whittingham, meanwhile, met with the team and the coaching staff briefly when he arrived in Orlando Saturday night and plans to stay out of everyone’s way this week.
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“These guys have been coaching these guys the whole season. I’m excited to be around and observe,” he said.
Running back Jordan Marshall thought his new coach made a good first impression.
“He had good energy,” said Marshall. “He said all the things a coach is supposed to say and he brought intensity. I like that about him. I’m going to keep getting to know him and his staff. I want to be at Michigan and if everything works out, I want to be here.”
The coaches currently on the Wolverines’ staff understand that Wednesday could be the last time they coach at the school.
“I’ve tried, on a personal level, to practice what I preach to the guys,” said offensive coordinator Steve Casula. “That’s not to mean that there aren’t unknowns, sure, all that kind of stuff, but if you get a chance to really know our young people, our players, it’s not difficult to be motivated to go do your best for them.”
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At an age where most coaches are choosing to step away and spend time with their grandchildren, Whittingham believes he’s still got plenty of juice remaining to handle this new challenge.
“I signed a five-year contract,” he said. “I made a mistake in Utah. They started asking me about retirement, and I started answering questions and giving my own thing. I don’t think I’m that old. I’m 66, but it’s not that old. I feel like I got enough energy and juice to see this through.”
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