To say that new Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham has hit the ground running is an understatement. The former Utah leader has been working quickly behind the scenes on player retention and securing a coaching staff. We should have a pretty good idea in just a few days whether all of his hard work has paid off: The transfer portal opens on Friday for two weeks.
But once that window is closed and the staff is in place? That’s when the fun begins.
Whittingham appeared on ESPN “College GameDay” on Thursday morning and was asked what his top priority for the team is once it’s in place. Given the offseason began around 7 p.m. EST Wednesday night and the players are back in Ann Arbor, it’s time to get to work.
“I think it starts with the weight room,” Whittingham said. “The offseason program is so critical, and you’ve got to have the right guy running the strength program, which we feel we’re going to. And that’s where a lot of the mental toughness and the work ethic and all that begins.
“We break the year into four quarters. First quarter of preparation is the winter conditioning. Second quarter is spring ball. Third quarter is summer conditioning, and then fall camp is the fourth quarter, and you’ve got to be ready to go after that. And you’ve got to win every quarter. That’s how we did it in Utah, and that’s how we’re going to do it at Michigan.”
Thus far, a few players have said they’re returning. Wide receiver Kendrick Bell and running back Bryson Kuzdzal confirmed as much in their postgame interviews following the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Beyond them, it will be interesting to see who Whittingham is able to retain before the winter conditioning period starts.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Whittingham details Michigan football offseason priorities on ESPN
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
