Michigan’s Whittingham Hit With Alarming Accusations by Former Utah Players
The head coach of the Michigan Wolverines is facing accusations from his former players at Utah.
Former Utah football players are accusing Michigan Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham of medical malpractice. Six players, who were once part of his Utah teams between 2020 and 2024, have made alarming allegations to local media. Defensive end Van Fillinger and four other teammates claim they were coerced into returning from injury before they were fully healed.
Fillinger, for instance, suffered a broken tibia and agreed to take a redshirt season to fully recover. However, when another player tore his ACL a few weeks into the season, the team's position coach told Fillinger he had no choice but to play despite being out for three games. Fillinger believes he had no option but to comply with his coach's demand, fearing being kicked off the team.
A spokesperson for Michigan's Wolverines has denied any wrongdoing, stating that Whittingham or his coaching staff did not make medical decisions at Utah. They emphasized that Whittingham followed the lead of the medical team and that student health is a top priority for the University of Utah.
Another former Utah player, Jaylon Glover, echoed Fillinger's sentiments, expressing frustration that the training staff and coaching staff appeared to be on different pages. According to Glover, the priority was to get players back on the field as quickly as possible, regardless of their recovery status.
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