Michigan hired Kyle Whittingham to fix its mess. Instead, hes created an even bigger one with Wolverines

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.COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S MEGA ROSTERS AREN’T DELIVERING A RETURN ON INVESTMENT AS MICHIGAN, LSU, TEXAS A&M AND OREGON PROVEThis page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.

This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.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.Head coach Kyle Whittingham of the Michigan Wolverines speaks to media during a postgame press conference after a college football game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Michigan Stadium on Sept.12, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Michigan Wolverines won 17-10.(Getty Images)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 ...