Kyle Whittingham is the new head football coach at the University of Michigan.

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There are four new head coaches in the Big Ten. However, calling them “new” doesn’t give them enough credit. The four of them combine for over 500 wins and nearly seven decades of head coaching experience.

The new head coach of the Michigan Wolverines is a perfect example of a seasoned veteran and should fit in perfectly with the Wolverines and the conference. 

Kyle Whittingham left Utah after 21 years to take the job at Michigan. In those 21 years, he went 177-88 and only had three losing seasons. That includes an 11-2, 7.72 BiteScore campaign in 2025 that ranked 13th-best in the nation. Now, he takes the reins of the most successful program in college football history. 

It’s been an interesting two years since Michigan won the 2023 National Championship. They’ve had to navigate through two scandals, but they’ve managed to maintain winning football and keep most of their young talent like QB Bryce Underwood, RB Jordan Marshall and WR Andrew Marsh.

Whittingham was a quintessential Michigan hire. He seemed like the best coach to right the ship as smoothly as possible and so far it looks as though he has done that. Its style of play lines up pretty well with Utah as well. Last year, Utah averaged 482.9 yards per game, including 266.3 rushing yards per game, which was second best in the nation. That should pair well with the Wolverines’ talented backfield and strong offensive line.

Even with the coaching change, Whittingham is bringing in one of the top freshman classes in the nation. He also brought in a top 25 transfer class, including some of Utah’s best players from last season.

The success of the Wolverines will hinge on whether Underwood can take a leap in his sophomore year. It can almost be guaranteed they’ll feature a great run game, but the Wolverines had one of the worst air attacks in the Big Ten last season, averaging just 186.8 yards per game. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck, who followed Whittingham from Utah, will look to develop the young Underwood under a new offensive scheme.

With the Big Ten getting better and better, it will be no easy task to bring the Wolverines back to the top of the conference. However, nine wins in 2026 should make Michigan fans very happy.

Record projection: 8-4 (6-3 in the Big Ten)

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