In 2025, the University of Michigan had a good season with an overall standing of nine wins and four losses, and a Citrus Bowl appearance. Although this was an adequate season, many fans, and even the team itself, probably had expected and hoped to see more from the team. The Wolverines lost in key matchups, games against top-contending schools and failed to qualify for a national title. Was this partially because of the coaching dilemma? Will the new Head Coach, Kyle Whittingham, lead the team to victory in 2026?
In Jan. of 2024, Jim Harbaugh, who had brought the team to victory, claimed the championship title for the 2023 season, announced that he was leaving the University of Michigan to become the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL. However, Coach Harbaugh’s tenure wasn’t without incidents. Numerous scandals, including a sign-stealing offense and recruiting violations, may have been the driving force of his departure. Harbaugh was replaced, in Jan. 2024, by Sherrone Moore. Before joining the University of Michigan’s faculty, Moore was an assistant head coach, working with tight ends, at Central Michigan University from 2014-2017. He also held many different positions with the Wolverines, from starting as a Tight Ends Coach to later becoming Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach. Although he had a lucrative career, Moore was terminated from the team in 2025 because of inappropriate conduct that showed his failure to comply with the school’s policy, and was an embarrassment to the organization. He’s recently been charged and is still going through the legal process.
The events that took place, causing the removal of Moore as Head Coach, caused some stress for the team. Not only were the Wolverines in the hot seat by football fanatics, but the university had to hire a new coach shortly after the regular season ended, and needed a replacement before the Citrus Bowl against the Texas Longhorns. This led to the temporary solution of Biff Poggi as Interim Head Coach for the University of Michigan stepping up to lead the team in their last game, then returning to Associate Head Coach. Something this serious would be hard not to affect any team. Junior Nisha Misra agrees and shared, “It most likely did. I mean, finding out your coach did what Moore did would probably be pretty upsetting, and a new coach could throw off the team’s rhythm before the Ohio game.” Mr. Robinson, a history teacher at RHS, offers another perspective. He commented, “That’s tough to answer without knowing the inner workings and the relationships between the coaches and players and what that was like. I can imagine a world where maybe some things going on behind the scenes might have had a big effect on the players.”
Kyle Whittingham has proven to be an outstanding coach and, hopefully, a powerful asset to the Wolverines. He was the Head Coach at the University of Utah for 21 seasons, and he led the team to three conference championships with an undefeated season in 2008, ending with a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama. Now, he is the Wolverines Head Coach, with 2026 being his first season. Many Michigan fans are excited to see his performance this upcoming fall, including numerous RHS students and faculty. Junior Michael Brooklier stated, “I’m pretty excited about the new coach. I think he has a good record in his past jobs and experiences, and I think it’s just what Michigan needs to get another championship.” Mr. Robinson also thinks he’ll be a sizeable asset, he said, “I think he’s an experienced guy with a tough demeanor. Somebody with a good track record that has been doing it for 20 plus years. I think he’ll probably be around for five or six years, help stabilize the program before they hand it off to someone else by the time he calls it quits.”
What really matters is the upcoming 2026 season for the team. It’s time to leave all the inconveniences in the past and focus on the game and reclaiming the pride and honor of the Michigan brand. Wolverine fans can not wait to see what direction Whittingham takes the team.