The Michigan Wolverines have had a rough few years off the field. And Urban Meyer, one of the most decorated coaches in college football history, noticed.

Appearing on The Triple Option podcast on July 1, Meyer didn't sugarcoat his feelings about what's happened in Ann Arbor.

"What in the h*** happened up there?" Meyer said. "That's not very, un-Wolverine-like what's taken place there the last few years."

Meyer's take on The Triple Option podcast carries real weight. Even though he never coached in Michigan and served as the arch-rival, Ohio State Buckeyes head coach, Meyer grew up in the Bo Schembechler era and understands what Michigan is supposed to represent as a program.

Here, the Bo Schembechler era refers to the legendary 21-season tenure of head coach Bo Schembechler at the University of Michigan, leading it to a 194-48-5 record and 13 Big Ten titles from 1969 to 1989.

Decades later, last season, former head coach Sherrone Moore was let go in December 2025 after Michigan's own investigation turned up credible evidence he'd been in an inappropriate relationship with someone on staff. He was fired and later arrested on suspicion of a****** involving that same person.

Moore eventually pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors. A judge handed him 18 months' probation. He went 17-8 in two seasons but left the program in a very difficult spot.

That all came right after Jim Harbaugh left for the LA Chargers following the 2023 national title. Two years of instability for a program that won 12 national championships.

Meyer also flagged the challenge Kyle Whittingham could be facing ahead, though.

"Coach Whittingham has been at Utah, and I love Utah, but Utah doesn't have the same pressures that that place has up north," Meyer said in the same podcast.

Utah was a program Whittingham built from the ground up. But he now steps into Michigan with a fanbase that expects championships every year.

Meyer named Whittingham his No. 1 coach to watch in 2026

Meyer listed his top five coaches to watch in 2026 on The Triple Option podcast, and Whittingham came in at number one, ahead of Lane Kiffin at LSU, Matt Campbell at Penn State, John Sumrall at Florida, and Curt Cignetti at Indiana.

"That's one of my dear friends and a former staff member," Meyer said of Whittingham in the same podcast. "I've talked to him a lot and that's why I'm so interested."

The two crossed paths when Meyer served as the Utes' head coach for two seasons, 2003 and 2004. Back then, Whittingham was the defensive coordinator for Utah.

The duo helped the Utes post a 22-2 record across two seasons, including a flawless 12-0 season in 2004 that culminated in a Fiesta Bowl win.

Fox's Big Noon Kickoff already has Oklahoma at Michigan locked in as a Week 2 feature game. The podcast co-host, Rob Stone, said he wants a one-on-one feature with Whittingham in his office for the show before the season starts.

Do you think Whittingham can restore Michigan's reputation on and off the field? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Michigan Football Community.

Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar