Freddie Whittingham brings new approach to Michigan

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There are now three Whittinghams coaching Michigan football, and yet head coach Kyle and his linebacker coach son Alex get most of the publicity. However, there's another who has been with his older brother head coach for some time, overseeing a position group that's less than glamorous pretty much anywhere that isn't Ann Arbor.

After his college (BYU) and then a brief NFL career, Freddie Whittingham went into publishing for 19 years before joining his brother in Salt Lake City, where he started as the director of player personnel for four years before becoming Utah's tight ends coach. He's put several high-end tight ends into the NFL, including Dalton Kincaid — a former first-round pick — and most recently, Dallan Bentley.

In a release by the school, Whittingham shared more on his coaching philosophy.

"My coaching philosophy always hinges on the fact that if a player is not performing at the level that we expect him to perform to be successful, that's on me as his coach," Whittingham said. "There can be some complicated concepts in football, and my job is to break it down so that it's simple for them to understand. And then from there, if they're not doing it correctly, I'm letting it happen. 

"And so that next part of evaluation comes in where you're evaluating how they're doing what you're asking them to do. And if it's not to the level or using the fundamentals and technique that you're teaching, then you've got to be very clear and demand that they do it the way that we want them to do it. I'm not a big yeller and screamer. If I have to scream and yell, I probably am not doing my job very well."

Considering the previous regime, having a coach who takes accountability is a breath of fresh air for the Wolverines. But Whittingham isn't content to just take blame if things go wrong — he wants his position group to excel in every way possible.

"Our group will do whatever it takes for the offense to be successful," Whittingham said. "Whatever role or roles that we're asked to fill — whether it be run blocking, passing, protecting, running routes, catching the football, playing special teams — we're going to do it the best we can. Talk about doing your one-11th and doing it with humility and also a great attitude and being active in the Michigan community, making sure that they relate well with the fans that show up, to watch them do what they do."

With Hogan Hansen, Zack Marshall, Deakon Tonielli, Eli Owens, Jalen Hoffman, and Mason Bonner, Whittingham has several high-end options he can rely upon, many of whom are experienced and could thrive in the Jason Beck offense.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Freddie Whittingham brings new approach to Michigan

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