Michigan Fans Send Clear Message to Head Coach Kyle Whittingham
The Michigan Wolverines suffered a 31-7 beatdown against the No. 16 Oregon Ducks, drawing further harsh criticism of head coach Kyle Whittingham for his team’s disappointing performance this season.
After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, Michigan briefly sparked some excitement with Savion Hiter’s 70-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. However, the Ducks then answered with a 59-yard receiving touchdown to extend to a 21-7 lead at the half.
From there, Whittingham’s Wolverines failed to score again. Quarterback Bryce Underwood was benched in favor of backup Tommy Carr for the second half, but he also proved ineffective.
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Whittingham brought Underwood back in with four minutes remaining, making for the second quarterback switch in Saturday’s losing effort. The two Michigan quarterbacks combined for just 71 passing yards against the Ducks.
Oregon had a standout performance from quarterback Dylan Raiola, who threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns. The Ducks scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to improve to 7-3 and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
The Wolverines are now 2-5 in the Big Ten and 5-5 overall in Whittingham’s first season. That lack of results has many fans wanting him out due to his failure to have much impact on the program.
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A video circulating on social media showed Whittingham walking away from his team on the sidelines as Michigan players gathered in a huddle during a timeout.
The video drew plenty of frustration from commenters, with several suggesting that the head coach needs to be one and done at Michigan over his perceived lack of involvement.
“Fire Whittingham today or tomorrow so we can get the search firm stuff done by the time the new AD is ready to go,” one commenter wrote.
Another commenter said, “This is one of the worst-coached teams I’ve ever watched and this staff is not deserving of a second year.”
“He’s gone. He’s here for the $ and knows hes out of his league and just wants out. He doesn’t care about us fans/team/tradition/B1G. He needs to go!!!” someone wrote.
Others commented, “Should be termination for cause. He’s not even coaching” and “Should have let him just keep walking.”
Whittingham became Michigan’s big hire this offseason after the firing of Sherrone Moore amid his inappropriate romantic relationship with a female staff member and his dishonesty during an investigation into the matter.
However, Whittingham hasn’t come close to replicating the success he enjoyed as head coach of the Utah Utes from 2005 to 2025. During his tenure, the team reached multiple college bowl games, and Whittingham finished with an overall record of 177-88.
His debut at Michigan began with a controversial ending, with the Wolverines on the verge of suffering a stunning upset loss to Western Michigan. A second added back on the clock allowed for one more Hail Mary chance, and the Wolverines took advantage with a surprising touchdown to win by a point, 13-12.
They followed that by defeating the Oklahoma Sooners, giving some optimism to fans that things might get turned around. Unfortunately, they went 3-5 in their next eight games.
A bowl game isn’t completely out of the question, but it would take at least one win in their final two games. Those games are against the UCLA Bruins and Ohio State Buckeyes, making for a challenging finish to Whittingham’s season.
Many fans have made it clear they don’t want Whittingham back next season, although firing him would come at a cost. According to CBS Sports, Michigan could buy out Whittingham’s contract for $24.75 million after he signed a five-year, $41 million deal to coach the Wolverines this offseason.
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