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Kyle Whittingham Yet Again Gave The Worst Possible Answer When Asked About Michigan’s Struggles

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Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham looks on before a play against Penn State during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham looks on before a play against Penn State during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026.


Presumably, first-year Michigan Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham isn’t trying to get himself fired after just one on the job. But if he is, then he’s doing an incredible job of it.

Whittingham was a last resort of sorts for the Wolverines after the dismissal of previous head coach Sherrone Moore in December, after several of the school’s would-be top targets were already off the board.

He got off to a rough start in July when he refused to display the proper amount of distaste for the Wolverines’ hated rival, Ohio State.

“Hate’s a strong word,” Whittingham said the Buckeyes “But I want to win that game as badly as anybody in Ann Arbor … I just think that a rivalry can be intense and emotional without the hatred factor. I don’t think there’s a place for that. Personally, I think Ryan Day is a good person.”

Is that the reasoned, mature answer? Sure. But it’s just not the answer fans want to hear.

Things have only gotten worse for Whittingham since the start of the season. Michigan is just 4-3 through seven games, and starting quarterback Bryce Underwood was benched for freshman Tommy Carr. Carr wasn’t any better in the Wolverines’ 13-6 loss to Indiana on Saturday, either.

Michigan’s 20.3 points per game rank just 118th in the country out of 138 FBS teams. But Whittingham isn’t ready to make any big changes.

Kyle Whittingham Is Sticking To His Guns Amid Michigan’s Struggles

Given the tragic state of affairs that is the Michigan offense, fans are beginning to wonder if Whittingham could make a change at offensive coordinator, replacing Jason Beck, who followed him to Ann Arbor from Utah.

But Whittingham immediately shot that idea down when asked about it on Monday.

“Now’s the time of year where, you know, you’re seeing head coaches lose their jobs, play callers being demoted … I don’t think it’s time to panic,” Whittingham said Monday. “We’re a play away from 6-1 or 7-0.”

That last part, in particular, did not sit well with Michigan fans.

Michigan’s administration may not be ready to move on from Whittingham after just one season. But the team’s fan base clearly is.