When Kyle Whittingham became Michigan’s new head coach, he was well aware of the situation he was stepping into. UM was coming off several high-profile scandals that culminated in Sherrone Moore’s firing last December. Whittingham even acknowledged the troubles in interviews but signaled that the program was past it. But now, he is being dealt a new hand. AD Warde Manuel, who hired him, is stepping down, and his close friend Urban Meyer has raised concerns.

“There are two things you look at: number one, how does Kyle Whittingham move forward because he has to, and it has to happen fast,” Meyer said on his Triple Option Podcast on July 22. “You’re going to have a new AD come in. You have a president, obviously, who supports Kyle. But who knows if he steps on your toe a few times. You get an AD who forgets about the turmoil that he took over. So, how do they move forward?”

Urban Meyer also had some “conversations” with Kyle Whittingham, whom the former OSU HC considers one of his “closest friends.” However, Meyer did not provide full details. But according to him, Whittingham has already shared some of the things he is dealing with. The three-time national champion called Whittingham’s situation at UM “unique” and “not a comfortable situation at all.” Despite that, Whittingham remains dedicated to turning things around.

After Sherrone Moore’s inappropriate relationship came to light, the program spent $12 million and hired a law firm to investigate the athletic department’s operations. This month, the investigation released its findings, finding Manuel’s leadership and commitment to students to be exemplary. At the same time, it also identified various failures to curb wrongdoing in his department. The UM board of trustees met to discuss Manuel’s future.

Finally, new Michigan president Domenico Grasso also released a video statement outlining “significant challenges” for UM’s athletic department. He didn’t name Manuel but relayed glaring failures in accountability and “structural deficiencies,” calling them unacceptable. Shortly after, reports detailed that the longtime Michigan AD was stepping down at the end of the calendar year as UM began its search for a new AD. That change could affect Whittingham directly.

History is working against Kyle Whittingham

We have already seen new ADs not being lenient with coaches, especially when it comes to giving them breathing room. Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen was fired shortly after his 2010 nine-win season and his ACC Coach of the Year win. AD Kevin Anderson took over and sought to move the program from “good to great,” only to be replaced by Randy Edsall. A similar case was with Auburn’s Bryan Harsin, whom AD John Cohen fired immediately after taking over in 2022. The same can happen at Michigan, which is used to winning, especially under outgoing AD Warde Manuel.

“It’s arguably the most successful. I’ve heard that the three-year run in the Wolverine football program is the best ever,” Urban Meyer said about Warde Manuel’s tenure. “I know what’s happening in Ann Arbor. They want this to go away as fast as possible and focus on playing some football.”

First and foremost, Warde Manuel hired a 66-year-old head coach, who was going to retire. He always seemed to be a short-term fix and not a long-term guy. While Whittingham is getting $41 million in his contract, UM won’t find firing him costly if he fails. But it’s not just that; the new AD will likely want to work on a clean slate.

Whoever joins the program as AD will get to pick the next long-term head coach, and history is rife with such examples. Texas AD Chris Del Conte took over when Tom Herman was the Texas head coach. It didn’t take long for him to lose patience and terminate his employment, despite the HC having no losing seasons and a Sugar Bowl win in 2018. Will the same happen to Kyle Whittingham if he doesn’t deliver results?