Urban Meyer: Matt Campbell and Kyle Whittingham hires saved Big Ten from ‘major possible tragedy’

It’s no secret that Urban Meyer is a big fan of Michigan hiring Kyle Whittingham.

But that’s not just because the ex-Ohio State head coach remains close with his former assistant coach, but also because of what it means for the overall state of the Big Ten.

Appearing on FS1’s Wake Up Barstool on Monday, Meyer discussed the Wolverines’ hiring of Whittingham, who served as his defensive coordinator during his two seasons as the head coach at Utah. And when coupled with Penn State’s recent hiring of former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, the 3-time national champion head coach believes that the Big Ten is in much better shape than it appeared to be in recently.

“The Big Ten really survived a major possible tragedy as far as a coaching staff search. When you look at Penn State pulled out Matt Campbell, who’s an elite coach. And then, I mean, this Kyle Whittingham thing,” Meyer began before revealing that he advised the 66-year-old to take the Michigan job, referring to it as a “no-brainer.”

.@CoachUrbanMeyer on why Kyle Whittingham is a great hire for Michigan pic.twitter.com/v48cJWs1N3

— Wake Up Barstool (@wakeupbarstool) December 29, 2025

While “major possible tragedy” is certainly hyperbolic, Meyer’s not wrong in pointing out that both the Nittany Lions’ and Wolverines’ coaching searches faced plenty of uncertainty.

For Penn State, that came in the form of several candidates turning down — or not even interviewing for — the job, leading to speculation that the program’s fractured relationship with college football super agent Jimmy Sexton was to blame. Yet despite several other vacancies getting filled first, the Nittany Lions ultimately landed on Campbell in a hiring that has been met with praise from most of the college football world.

As for Michigan, the Wolverines unexpectedly found themselves in the market for a new head coach earlier this month after firing Sherrone Moore as the result of “credible evidence” that he had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. And although Michigan had initially been linked to Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham, most — including Meyer — have lauded its hiring of Whittingham, who many consider to be a future Hall of Fame inductee.

To Meyer’s larger point about the state of the Big Ten, the idea of both Michigan and Penn State potentially being without high caliber head coaches certainly would have been a major blow to the conference coming off a season in which Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon clearly separated themselves from the rest of the league. Time will tell whether Whittingham and/or Campbell are able to help their new programs close that gap. But for now, they each see more capable of doing so than it seemed a mere few weeks ago.