Would Biff Poggi have been a better hire for Michigan than Kyle Whittingham?

Biff Poggi said that he was a serious candidate for the Michigan football head coaching job, with he and Kyle Whittingham serving as the finalists.

Talking to Jordan Strack, Poggi said he "thought" he was going to get the job.

"It came down to me and Kyle. It was hard because I really thought I was going to get it. I had four interviews, they all went really well, I was getting really positive feedback from the search guy. It was all going very well," Poggi said to Strack on a Blue By 90 Podcast.

What if Biff Poggi was the Michigan football head coach?

Poggi was named the interim head coach after Sherrone Moore was fired. He ended up coaching three games last season as the interim with a 2-1 record.

The one thing you can say is that Bryce Underwood played well under Poggi. He was allowed to run, such as in the Nebraska game. Bryce even accounted for three touchdowns, two passing and one rushing, before throwing three interceptions in the bowl game against Texas.

Poggi hasn't been a successful college head coach. He was fired in his second season at Charlotte, although that's not an easy program to turn around. Poggi was an important figure during the Harbaugh era, coming back on the staff before the 2021 season.

To be fair, I was completely against Poggi as the head coach. It didn't make sense at all based on his qualifications. It felt like another "continuity" hire like the way Michigan football hired Sherrone Moore as the head coach. We all saw that how worked out.

The one good thing about Poggi is that maybe the transition would have been better. He didn't keep offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey on staff before the bowl game, which is one of the main reasons it would have made sense to keep Poggi.

In the end, hiring Whittingham was the right call between those candidates. It hasn't worked out as we had hoped, but there are four games left. Maybe the team will surprise us over the last month.

With the athletic director search just getting underway, it's hard to see Whittingham getting fired after this season, unless the Wolverines lose out. Even then, who is making the decision to fire Whittingham and his staff? That's a move that would cost millions.

You have to hope Whittingham is able to adjust. Jason Beck, too.

Whether Whittingham was right hire or not, it made sense at the time, and all Michigan fans can do is hope for the best.

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