At some point, a school just has to admit that a situation is not working. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the Wolverines situation is going to get better any time soon.
For Michigan, one has to wonder if it would be better for the athletic department to take a hard look at the optics surrounding head coach Kyle Whittingham and chalk this one up as a loss.
Following the dismissal of former head coach Sherrone Moore, athletic director Warde Manuel thought he had struck gold by hiring the former Utah coach to takeover a program that has seen more controversy over the past few years than some schools experience in a decade.
But, after Michigan put together another abysmal performance in the 15-6 loss to Michigan State over the weekend, it’s obvious that this ship in Ann Arbor is rudderless and also burning cash by the day.
Through the entire process of actually hiring Whittingham, the thought by many within a group of donors helping put together the finances needed to compete in the Big Ten was that hiring an outside-the-box candidate was the way in which this Wolverine ship could be steadied.
Now, they are just waiting to see how much of the iceberg they actually hit before seasons end.
Kyle Whittingham is in a very awkward position, thanks to Michigan
Looking back, the signs have been there since the day this legendary coach took the podium in Ann Arbor to be introduced to Wolverine fans who were just excited for something different.
The carefree attitude of Whittingham towards some of Michigan’s biggest rivals is one thing. Sure, it’s going to take someone a few minutes to understand that magnitude of games against teams like Michigan State, or what the Paul Bunyon Trophy represents.
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In saying that, it would take the average college football fan around five minutes to understand the importance of a game against Ohio State.
And no, I’m not implying Whittingham doesn’t grasp how big a game this is for Michigan fans every year. He’s just a very good coach that has spent the majority of his career not having to worry about such things, especially coaching in Utah.
So, how would Whittingham keep his team motivated for these final three games of the season, with nothing left to play for besides pride, and beating the Buckeyes?
“It’s my job as a coach to rally them back up and get them ready to compete for these last three games. … I don’t know, are there any more trophies in these last three games? I don’t think there’s any more trophies. Anyway..”
My goodness, you thought Michigan fans were upset following the loss to Michigan State? You should see the replies to this quote on social media.
The nonchalant attitude has clearly not sat well with those same boosters who are funding this expensive roster, led by quarterback Bryce Underwood’s contract that has paid him over $7 million since he arrived on campus.
Besides how inept this offense has looked in his first season as head coach, the play-calling and handling of the quarterback position has been an even worse look for Whittingham.
But again, this is not just on the former Utah coach. Everyone involved in the hiring of Kyle Whittingham should feel some sort of responsibility for this mess.
Michigan owed offensive coordinator nearly $10 million after firing
Following the loss to Michigan State, Kyle Whittingham made it a point to say that he was not planning on making any changes to the offensive staff, most notably coordinator Jason Beck.
The highest-paid assistant coach in the country had clearly not meshed with his playmakers, and it showed on the field with the decision-making around the quarterback position.
Just over 14 hours later, the Michigan football program announced they would be moving on from OC Jason Beck, even though Whittingham had put up a fight for him on Sunday morning.
The question from those within the football building was centered around who actually made the call to fire Beck?
Was it the head coach who was hired to lead this program or the folks who are paying the expensive bills that come with a Big Ten roster trying to compete for a national title.
“The results have not matched our desired outcome, and I felt that a change in leadership was required for our offense,” Whittingham said in a statement. “We need to put our offensive players and the entire team in the best possible position to be successful.”
That statement did not match with how Whittingham described the situation on Saturday night. It’s also not lost on those who follow the program on a daily basis that there has been a disconnect between the reality of what is happening in Ann Arbor within the minds of boosters and fans compared to the words coming from the head coach.
So, is it really that surprising Michigan decided it was time to put tape on the current hole in the ship?
Are the Wolverines stuck? No, but they also need a president and AD
Right now, the university is currently looking an a school president and an athletic director to take over for Warde Manuel once he officially retires from his position.
Oh, if the school even wanted to fire Whittingham and admit they were wrong, it would owe the head coach around $24 million to do so. What do you think the odds of that happening are?
Remember, Michigan still has to raise enough capital outside of the revenue-sharing cap to fund a roster that will compete for a Big Ten title next season.
Yes, a new hire will inherit the mess that was left by Manuel and those surrounding the Wolverines athletic department that just had its basketball team cutting down the nets under former coach Dusty May.
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If you look hard enough, and it doesn’t take much, you will notice the trend of dysfunction that Michigan fans have had to deal with over the years. And, I shouldn’t have to remind you that this is the same football program that won a national championship just three years ago.
Now, you have a head coach who has, unbeknownst to him, created a massive divide between himself and a fan base looking for some kind of normalcy in the complicated world of college athletics.
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And, they are expecting these same fans and donors to get excited about the future under a head coach who has essentially admitted multiple times he doesn’t quite understand the magnitude of a game against Ohio State to finish the regular season.
Clearly, the Wolverines have a whole bunch of problems in front of themselves right now.
Or as we like to call it from afar: a random Monday
