New Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham details ‘very tight’ relationship with Urban Meyer

New Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham will have to quickly adjust to hating all things Ohio State, but there’s one connection he might be able to move past.

The longtime Utah head coach was introduced as the Wolverines’ new leader on Sunday. The 66-year-old explained how he’ll tackle the challenge of moving Michigan on from recent scandals and returning it to championship form.

Among those he’ll lean on to help right the ship will be a guy UM fans have long hated: Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer.

“First of all, you’ve got to bring in guys that you’re familiar with and you trust and you’ve worked with,” Whittingham said. “I think that’s always a starting point. I’ve had some good resources — you know, Urban Meyer, I don’t know if that’s a four-letter word in this room or not. But Urban and me are very tight. Got some council from him. He’s been a few places and the key is to get guys in you trust.”

Whittingham took over the Utah program in 2005 when Meyer left to helm the Florida Gators, where he’d win two national titles.

“Me and Urban were on the same staff at Utah. I was his defensive coordinator. So, there was a real tight bond there,” Whittingham added. “And I followed his career and obviously stayed in touch throughout the course of his career, and had great success there. But now, I’m on the right side of the deal now.”

The truth is that Meyer, now a Fox Sports CFB analyst, is a pretty solid person to lean on if you’re trying to quickly rebuild a powerhouse Big Ten program into a national title contender. That’s exactly what he did at Ohio State.

While Meyer’s council might ruffle some feathers in Ann Arbor, Whittingham is getting on board with where his loyalties lie.

When asked if he dislikes Ohio State, Whittingham said, “I do now, I guess.”