Where On3 ranks Kyle Whittingham in Big Ten coaches list

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Michigan football has had a tumultuous recent history, and with that, the head coaching position wasn’t exuding the type of leadership required of the job. Sherrone Moore was involved in . . . extracurriculars, on top of not exactly field a team that was on par with his predecessor Jim Harbaugh. But, when Moore was ousted from Ann Arbor, the Wolverines somewhat fell upward, managing to lure Kyle Whittingham away from both Utah and retirement.

Whittingham had a stellar 21 seasons leading the Utes and was on most everyone’s top coaching lists. And with On3’s Ari Wasserman determining the top coaches in the Big Ten, it’s no surprise to see Whittingham up near the top.

4. Kyle Whittingham, Michigan

Whittingham has yet to prove a single thing at Michigan. But he’s the greatest coach in Utah football history, amassing 177 wins and three league titles across different conferences while leading the Utes. His best season was in 2008, when he led Utah to a 13-0 record and a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama. Frankly, the mean has consistently gotten more with less. Now he was hired to replace Sherrone Moore at Michigan and will be given more. Though he’s 66 years old, Whittingham has a chance to finish his career with something that would have been impossible at Utah — a national title. Now? It’s the expectation, and the Wolverines will give him what he needs. Michigan has a chance to be really good.

Whittingham may be fourth on Wasserman’s list, but Bill Bender from Sporting News has him as the No. 12 head coach in the country, regardless of conference.

Moore, on previous lists, tended to be languishing near the bottom. Despite having had wins over Ohio State and Alabama, his Michigan teams rarely blew the doors off any opponent, even those expected to be completely overmatched. Actually, only once was he on the sidelines and came away with a lopsided victory (Northwestern in 2024).

So, Michigan fell upwards somewhat. The only coaches ahead of Whittingham on the list are Curt Cignetti, Ryan Day, and Dan Lanning — two of three having won national championships. But now, with the talent assembled in Ann Arbor, we’ll see just how much more Whittingham can do with more, after having previously done more with less.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football’s Kyle Whittingham among top Big Ten coaches per On3

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