It is a new day for Michigan Football.
Today, Kyle Whittingham was introduced as Michigan’s 22nd head football coach. What stood out immediately was how grounded he was at the press conference. No slogans. No theatrics. Just football, accountability, and purpose.
After everything Michigan has navigated in recent years, arrests, firings, NCAA investigations, and constant noise, hiring someone so widely respected as both a coach and a person feels like a necessary reset. Not just for wins and losses, but for the direction of the program.
Michigan football has experienced extraordinary success on the field, including a national championship. But success does not erase instability. “Burgergate,” “Signgate,” and the surrounding controversies may be debated in terms of severity, but they were distractions nonetheless, and they reflected a program that, at times, failed to prioritize compliance and clarity. At a university that proudly claims integrity as a foundational value, that matters.
The situation involving Sherrone Moore was painful and avoidable. Leadership carries responsibility beyond the field, and when that responsibility is compromised, consequences follow. His removal was warranted. At the same time, I genuinely hope Sherrone finds healing and redemption as he begins the difficult work of rebuilding his life.
From a football standpoint, the timing of the transition was perilous. The transfer portal loomed. The coaching market appeared thin. Michigan was staring at the real possibility of roster erosion and instability.
Then circumstances shifted.
Kyle Whittingham’s availability, stepping away from a 22-year run at Utah, changed everything. In him, Michigan gains what it has desperately needed: stability, experience, accountability, toughness, and a true family-centered culture. His résumé speaks for itself: three conference championships, multiple National Coach of the Year honors, and the unforgettable 13–0 season capped by a win over a Nick Saban–led Alabama program on the verge of its dynasty.
Time will tell how the Whittingham era unfolds in Ann Arbor. No hire guarantees success.
But this much is clear: Michigan football is back on solid ground — culturally, structurally, and directionally.
And right now, that matters more than anything.