Two weeks after the surprise firing of Sherrone Moore, it appears that Michigan has its man. And it didn’t take long for one of the Wolverines’ most prominent personalities to weigh in, with Dave Portnoy taking to X to react to the news that his alma mater is expected to hire Kyle Whittingham as its next head coach.
“We are so f*cking back, I don’t even know what to do about it,” the Barstool Sports founder said in a video posted to X shortly after the news of Michigan’s impending hire was first reported. “I was a little worried about this Michigan coaching search, I’m not going to lie. I was saying, ‘I hope we know what we’re doing. I hope these guys in charge — I don’t even know who that is — but I hope we have a plan, because time is ticking and I’m getting nervous.'”
Portnoy proceeded to run down the list of previous candidates the Wolverines had been linked to, including Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham. Ultimately, the Fox Big Noon Kickoff analyst was thrilled with the hiring of Whittingham, who spent the last 21 seasons as the head coach at Utah before stepping down earlier this month.
“He built a powerhouse: tough, physical, man Michigan-type football,” Portnoy said. “I’ve heard Urban Meyer whisper in production meetings at Big Noon Kickoff, ‘Man, that Whittingham’s the best coach I’ve ever seen.’ And now he comes to Michigan? This isn’t just rebuilding, restarting. This is the beginning of a dynasty. The Michigan ethos, the Michigan man mantra: it’s back.”
After noting the ugly circumstances surrounding Moore’s departure, the Boston native said that the entire situation resulted in a major upgrade for the Wolverines, stating that they now have “one of the best coaches in the history of college football leading the best program in the history of college football.” He also said that rival Ohio State should be less concerned with its upcoming matchup against Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals and more focused on whether the Buckeyes will ever beat the Wolverines again.
While there’s obviously some hyperbole in Portnoy’s analysis, his excitement over Michigan’s hiring of Whittingham is well warranted. As he noted in his video, the ex-Utes head coach lays claim to a Hall of Fame resume, having amassed a 177-88 record and three conference championships in his 21 seasons as the head coach at Utah.
Does that mean a Michigan dynasty is looming? Not necessarily, although Portnoy is likely correct in his assessment that Michigan’s new head coach is an upgrade from its old one. And considering that the last month alone has seen the Wolverines lose to the Buckeyes for the first time since 2019 and everything that accompanied Moore being fired for cause, nobody could fault any Michigan man for taking an optimistic approach to Friday’s news.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.