Michigan is trying to steady itself under Kyle Whittingham, but the program’s latest move says just as much about optics as football. As fallout from his $13.5 million Utah separation still lingers, the Wolverines are pushing hard with a key front-office hire meant to bring credibility. structure and a sense of direction behind the scenes.

Kyle Whittingham has plans to hire Chris Pettit, who has worked for many years as a professional scout, for the assistant general manager role. This is part of Michigan’s bigger plan to complete its front office and improve how the team is managed behind the scenes.

Now, Pettit will probably work closely with general manager Dave Peloquin, who recently joined after leading the college NIL division at Athletes First. This makes their foundation even stronger. He brings 18 years of experience with the New York Giants and has served as director of college scouting for more than 4 years.

On top of that, Pettit’s LinkedIn account perfectly describes why Kyle Whittingham and his team are trying to bring him onto the team.

“A 20+ year NFL executive who played an integral role in two Super Bowl-winning teams, contributing to the success through scouting excellence and strategic insights,” Pettit said. “Demonstrated adaptability and resilience in high-pressure environments, contributing to a winning culture within the organization. Skilled in building and leading diverse teams, fostering a culture of excellence and inclusion.”

His experience is his biggest backing. Apart from working with the New York Giants, he also served as an assistant coach at Wisconsin. He finished college at the University of Maryland in 2001. So, his time in both the NFL and college football brings a broader perspective to the team. It also gives Michigan a recruiting advantage, too, as Pettit’s connections might help them massively.

One of his major successes was finding wide receiver Victor Cruz, who was an undrafted player and later became a star for the Giants. For some time, Pettit stopped working directly with a team and started a company called Scout Smarter AI. This company uses technology to help sports teams make smarter decisions. It can quickly create player reports, compare players, and check whether signing a player is risky. Because Pettit understands both old-style scouting and new technology, he can really help Michigan make better decisions.

While Pettit’s analytics give Michigan a clear edge, this hire arrives when Whittingham needs a PR win. Expanding the front office serves as a vital counterweight to the ongoing scrutiny surrounding his multi-million-dollar separation agreement out west.

Kyle Whittingham’s $13.5 million gamble

Kyle Whittingham’s journey with Utah ended on a bad note. Whittingham wanted to coach Utah for a 23rd season after a 10-2 regular season. However, the talks broke down because they couldn’t agree on money and who would control the team.

His agent, Bruce Tollner, asked for a raise from $7.4 million to $9 million, $20 million for player NIL deals, and an extra $2 million for assistant coaches. Utah offered $8 million but said Whittingham would have to give full control over players and coaching decisions to Morgan Scalley, the coach-in-waiting. The school also wanted the athletic director, Mark Harlan, and a full-time administrator to oversee parts of the program.

Now, Kyle Whittingham did not agree to Utah’s conditions, so he signed a $13.5 million separation agreement. This money was paid in three parts over two years, but Utah added rules he had to follow and gave him a warning. They said if he broke the rules once, he would be fined $500,000, and if he broke them again, he could be fired.

Even with this warning, Whittingham quickly took the head coach job at Michigan. He brought important staff with him, like offensive coordinator Jason Beck and strength coach Elisaia, and also convinced a top player, four-star defensive back Salesi Moa, to join Michigan. That’s where the frustration started as Whittingham violated the agreement.

“The university felt that your involvement with recruiting our football coaches and staff to Michigan was contrary to the terms of your employment agreement, which requires you to assist with a smooth and successful transition of the football program to the new head coach and his coaching staff,” Harlan said.

Harlan also made it clear that suing Whittingham over the $13.5 million is not something that they are planning to do. However, he expects Whittingham to follow the rules of the agreement from now on.