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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Michigan football has its new head coach in former Utah headman Kyle Whittingham, and he has a bit (to say the least) of an interesting background.
Whittingham oversaw the Utes for 21 years, but before that, he was the defensive coordinator in Salt Lake City. And who was his head coach? None other than Urban Meyer, who eventually went on to lead Florida and Ohio State to national championships. Now Meyer is an analyst with Fox, and even though he won't even say the name 'Michigan,' Whittingham says he's leaned on his former mentor in getting his new job, and he'll also do so when it comes to assembling his new staff.
"I’ve had some good resources -- Urban Meyer," Whittingham said. "I don’t know if that’s a four-letter word in this room or not, but Urban and me are very tight. I got some counsel from him, he’s been a few places, and the key is to get guys in that you trust, get guys in that you’re familiar with that do things your way."
So, given Meyer's animus for all things Michigan, how did it go for Whittingham when he told him that he was in talks to take over the maize and blue? Given Meyer's outspoken disdain (in a rivalry sense) for the Wolverines, you'd think he would have been against it.
But, as Whittingham tells it, it went a much different way.
"He was excited, he was excited," Whittingham told WolverinesWire. "He said it's a great place, great opportunity. And he just thought that, he was surprised, he was surprised, as was I. But, I have his full support, so it's good."
That may be the case for now, but we'll see if his tune changes come the final Saturday in November.
Though Michigan has tended to have coaches from the Bo Schembechler tree, harkening back to Schembechler's hire in 1969, now the Wolverines have an acolyte of someone who was the Ohio State coach, as both Whittingham and OSU's Ryan Day succeeded Meyer at one point.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Kyle Whittingham leaned on Urban Meyer before taking Michigan job
Continue reading...
Whittingham oversaw the Utes for 21 years, but before that, he was the defensive coordinator in Salt Lake City. And who was his head coach? None other than Urban Meyer, who eventually went on to lead Florida and Ohio State to national championships. Now Meyer is an analyst with Fox, and even though he won't even say the name 'Michigan,' Whittingham says he's leaned on his former mentor in getting his new job, and he'll also do so when it comes to assembling his new staff.
"I’ve had some good resources -- Urban Meyer," Whittingham said. "I don’t know if that’s a four-letter word in this room or not, but Urban and me are very tight. I got some counsel from him, he’s been a few places, and the key is to get guys in that you trust, get guys in that you’re familiar with that do things your way."
So, given Meyer's animus for all things Michigan, how did it go for Whittingham when he told him that he was in talks to take over the maize and blue? Given Meyer's outspoken disdain (in a rivalry sense) for the Wolverines, you'd think he would have been against it.
But, as Whittingham tells it, it went a much different way.
"He was excited, he was excited," Whittingham told WolverinesWire. "He said it's a great place, great opportunity. And he just thought that, he was surprised, he was surprised, as was I. But, I have his full support, so it's good."
That may be the case for now, but we'll see if his tune changes come the final Saturday in November.
Though Michigan has tended to have coaches from the Bo Schembechler tree, harkening back to Schembechler's hire in 1969, now the Wolverines have an acolyte of someone who was the Ohio State coach, as both Whittingham and OSU's Ryan Day succeeded Meyer at one point.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Kyle Whittingham leaned on Urban Meyer before taking Michigan job
Continue reading...
