Kyle Whittingham has been coaching football for a long time, over 40 years. After spending the majority of his career at Utah, Whittingham made his way to Ann Arbor as Michigan's new head coach, meant to come in, change the culture, and get the Wolverines back to their winning ways. Well, we are still waiting to see that change.
Michigan's 20-14 defeat to Minnesota feels like a new low for this team, especially since it's the first loss to the Golden Gophers since 2014, and first loss on the road to Minnesota since 1977.
Whittingham once described this team as a Christmas present, unwrapping it and seeing what he would find. Well, he must still be unwrapping that gift because Whittingham said he is still learning who this team is, and it's been the biggest challenge of his long coaching career.
"I'm still trying to figure it out," Whittingham said. "I've been in this profession for 40+ years, and this is maybe the biggest challenge I've had, and we will get it figured out. I promise you that. I am not sure what the timeline is, but I promise you we are going to get it figured out."
Kyle Whittingham opens up about the challenge of figuring out this Michigan team. pic.twitter.com/1YHEVULHHk
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 3, 2026
It sounds like maybe Whittingham bit off more than he could chew at Michigan, but he seems hell-bent on fixing the problems. The biggest issue is fully diagnosing the problem in order to fix it, which could prove to be the challenge Whittingham is talking about.
Is Kyle Whittingham cut out for this at Michigan?
When Whittingham was hired at Michigan, it seemed like he was the right guy for the job. Someone with lots of coaching experience, a history of disciplined teams, and who is known for creating a good culture wherever he is. Well, the struggle is real at Michigan, and Whittingham may not be the answer the Wolverines thought he would be.
This isn't about Whittingham being a bad coach, but maybe he wasn't as equipped for Big Ten football. Coming from years in the Pac-12 and then a few years in the Big 12, Whittingham has never faced competition like this in the Big Ten. Now, maybe we should be cutting Whittingham some slack since he is still in just his first season with the team.
Whittingham is working with a lot of guys who aren't his own, and maybe getting his type of players in the building will prove to help with this "challenge" he is talking about. If that is the case, this is probably going to be a long rest of the season, but this is where patience is needed.
Is Whittingham cut out for this? Honestly, I don't know. Right now, it doesn't look like it, but I believe we should give him more than five games before calling it.
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