Nov 19, 2022; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham congratulates Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning after a game at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks won the game 20-17.
Neither the Oregon Ducks nor the Michigan Wolverines are having the college football seasons they hoped for in 2026, and head coaches Dan Lanning and Kyle Whittingham are both feeling the heat.
The two teams will square off with one another on Saturday, hoping to get their seasons headed back in the right direction. And it appears there’s a bit of extra spice added to the matchup as well.
On a recent radio show appearance, Whittingham took a backhanded swing at Lanning and the Wolverines. Now, Lanning has clapped back, and with full force.
Dan Lanning Sends Brutal Reminder To Kyle Whittingham
Whittingham began his appearance by praising Whittingham and the Ducks. But he quickly pivoted to discussing how much easier it is to win when you have Oregon’s financial might, backed by Nike founder Phil Knight.
“It doesn’t hurt that you have $50-plus million at your disposal to, in essence, outbid everybody,” Whittingham said. “Not everybody, but a lot of people. But that’s not his fault. That’s a credit. I mean, that’s a credit to their program and their dedication and desire to win and the support they have. NIL is really the name of the game in recruiting these days. It’s shifted so much.”
Of course, Michigan is not exactly resource poor, as Lanning was sure to remind everybody on Wednesday.
“They’re spending more of their money on their coaches that they’re letting go, so maybe it makes it hard to sign players,” Lanning said. “But I know they’ve signed a couple of guys that we weren’t able to compete with what they decided to do, and maybe a lot of that money is tied up for them in another player. I don’t know. But Coach Whittingham is an unbelievable coach.”
Yiiiiiiiiiikessss.
The Wolverines recently fired offensive coordinator Jason Beck after just nine games in charge, and Whittingham might not be far behind him. Add to that the mess with Sherrone Moore, and it’s hard to argue Lanning’s point.
Perhaps Whittingham will learn not to throw stones in glass houses next time around.