Michigan football had a coaching change foisted upon it this offseason with the unexpected firing of the previous regime and the hiring of Kyle Whittingham the day after Christmas.
There is a lot to like about the Whittingham hire, especially the fit in Ann Arbor. He brings discipline, structure and toughness — not unlike former coach Jim Harbaugh. But there’s more to it than that: the assistants he hired, how they fit the personnel and the vision for what his new team will be.
CBS Sports graded all of the new coaching hires across college football, and Whittingham’s hiring by Michigan football is one of only A-grades given out. UCLA, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State are the only other schools to receive such a high offseason mark.
Michigan — Kyle Whittingham
Previous school: Utah
It wasn’t exactly a stunner that Kyle Whittingham stepped down at Utah — he had been on retirement watch annually as he got older — but it was surprising that he ended up back in the game at Michigan. His identity should play well with the Wolverines, and the offense run by Jason Beck is tailor-made for Bryce Underwood. Grade: A
Of course, he will have to prove it on the football field, and the 2026 schedule is an absolute bear. Oklahoma, Iowa, Penn State, Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State are on the docket. Even so, Michigan will have as much, if not more talent, than most of them. So if Whittingham and his staff can maximize that talent, that could go a long way to having a surprise season in his first year.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football’s new coach earns an ‘A’ grade from CBS Sports
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
