Michigan players have responded positively to the culture that head coach Kyle Whittingham is bringing to Ann Arbor. Whittingham’s discipline and consistency have become a talking point, with several Wolverines describing his 6,500-day streak of not missing his workout.

Former Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan wanted to know from the current Wolverines roster what they think about Whittingham. On the May 5th episode of the Bussin' With The Boys podcast, he asked the players about their favorite thing about their new head coach.

“He’s a monster in the weight room,” Wolverines defensive lineman Trey Pierce said while mentioning his remarkable 6,500-day streak of never missing his workout. “I bet he squats like 350.”

Whittingham signed a five-year deal of $8.2 million per year to lead Michigan. During his 21 seasons as coach at Utah (2005-2025), he made a 177-82 record. But beyond the record books, Whittingham brings a sense of self-discipline to Ann Arbor.

He is 66 years old, but he does not use this as an excuse. In an interview with On3’s JD PicKell, Whittingham shared about his workout streak that has spanned nearly 6,500 days (excluding Sundays), so for the past 17 years.

“We’re doing a lot of aerobics, a lot of stretching, core,” said Whittingham. “A little bit of weight lifting — not much anymore. I don’t get into that like I used to. But it’s been July 1st, 2008, when the streak started, and it’s still intact, so I think it’s more like 6,500 days or something like that.”

Whittingham’s teams have long been known for playing a physical brand of football, whether in the Mountain West, Pac-12, or Big 12. 

He now hopes to bring that same identity to the Big Ten at a program already built on toughness, and he has already made his expectations clear.

Kyle Whittingham Sets the Bar High for the Michigan Wolverines

This season, under the new head coach, Michigan started spring camp with a fresh sense of urgency. Whittingham made it clear from day one that yearly Big Ten title contention is the goal.

“I would expect at Michigan, you challenge for the Big Ten title every single year. That should be a given,” he said in a 247Sports interview. “Every single year, you should be in the hunt. And deep in the season, you should be right there with the top teams.”

Whittingham mentioned that he was confident and could address Underwood’s inconsistencies compared to the past year. There was one talent that stood out in Underwood: leadership. But there are still areas in which the quarterback needs to be developed.

“First of all, Bryce was thrown into a pretty tough situation last fall — a true freshman, 18 years old, starting quarterback at not only a P4 program but Michigan,” said Whittingham on The Blueprint podcast. “You’re under the spotlight, also didn’t have a dedicated quarterbacks coach last year. So, he was a little rough around the edges, still is a little bit.”

During the spring game, Underwood managed only 22 yards on 3-of-9 passing while he was sacked two times. But Whittingham still views him as the projected starter for the 2026 season. However, Underwood will still need to meet the coach’s standards.

Share your thoughts on Whittingham’s competitive spirit.

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Written by

Hetal Moleshri

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar