With Utah up and Michigan middling, the Utes appear to have won the Kyle Whittingham divorce

In a recent turn of events, Utah appears to have secured a favorable outcome in what seemed like a contentious divorce from long-time head coach Kyle Whittingham, now coaching at Michigan. The Utes have demonstrated significant improvement under their new head coach, Morgan Scalley, who leads the Big 12 at 7-0. In contrast, Michigan has struggled on offense, leaving many to question the wisdom of hiring Whittingham, who is now facing criticism.

Whittingham expressed satisfaction with Utah's progress, stating that they left the team with a strong roster and coaches. However, there was a notable rift as Whittingham recruited key players and coaches to Michigan, leading to a disagreement over the terms of his contract. The university felt that this recruiting activity was not in line with his employment agreement.

Whittingham's decision to leave Utah was not met with enthusiasm from all, as he had expressed a desire to remain. He emphasized that the timing was right for him to move on, but some within the program felt that he should have stayed longer. This dilemma is common when a highly successful coach wishes to depart from a university that cannot easily force a transition.

Utah's situation at this stage of the season reveals that the team has been positively impacted by Whittingham's departure. Under their new leadership, the Utes are now performing well defensively and have shown improvement in their offensive capabilities. Meanwhile, Michigan continues to face challenges, with Whittingham and his coaching staff struggling to adapt to the demands of the program.

It remains to be seen whether Whittingham's tenure at Michigan will be as successful as it has been at Utah. The pressure on him to improve the team's performance is evident, but he may also be grappling with the legacy of his time at Utah and the contentious circumstances surrounding his departure.