Kyle Whittingam talks priorities, Bryce Underwood, and his why: 'It's Michigan'

Newly-hired Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham met with the media for the first time on Sunday and talked about his next steps.

Whittingham addressed why he wanted to coach for Michigan football at 66 years old. When he stepped down from Utah, he said there were a handful of programs that he would consider being the head coach of, and Michigan was one of them.

"It's Michigan," he said.

Whittingham talked about all the things that make Michigan great -- the Big House, the helmets, the tradition. He also talked about the "tremendous resources" that he will have at Michigan. It was clear that he was excited about the opportunity, even reinvigorated.

Whittingham said that Michigan is going to be "physical."

"We have had the most physical team in the league at Utah, in two different leagues and I don't anticipate that changing."

He talked about how much he likes to run the football. That should be music to the ears of Michigan football fans. There's probably a reason why Jordan Marshall has already said he wants to come back.

Kyle Whtitingham's top priority is player retention

Whittingham said his top priority was player retention. "College football is about players. If you have good players, you have a chance."

The new Michigan head coach said he met with starting quarterback Bryce Underwood for 45 minutes. He said that meeting went well, and like we said on Saturday, the vibes are strong that Underwood will be back next season.

Whittingham said recruiting the state of Michigan would be a top priority. He talked about his relationship with Urban Meyer but you got the sense that the Wolverines will give "The Game" the amount of seriousness that it requires.

The importance of "The Game" won't be an issue. Whittingham said he's "fully equipped" to take over the Michigan football head coaching job.

Whittingham wasn't the dream candidate. But he feels like the right candidate for Michigan. What he said about the players is correct. Michigan has good players, better players than he's ever had at Utah.

So with better players and more resources, it feels like Whittingham, a proven winner, can do a lot of winning in Ann Arbor.