Penn State will face a variety of head coaches this season, some that they are familiar with and some they may never have faced before or even heard of. This week, they will be facing a head coach that several Iowa State transfers and Matt Campbell himself may not soom forget.
Here's more on Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham.
Kyle Whittingham, Michigan Head Coach
Overall record: 180-90
Record against Penn State: 0-1
Record against ranked teams: 25-39
Record against Big Ten: 6-6
Kyle Whittingham has always been a coach that prefers to work under the radar, but to positive effect, The architect of Utah's rapid rise in the world of college football, Whittingham has finally entered the national spotlight with a big move to Michigan. While the rebuild has proven tough to start, it's not anything that Whittingham hasn't dealt with before.
A graduate of BYU, Whittingham began his decorated career with his alma mater, which set off a path of success. After brief stints with both the College of Eastern Utah and Idaho State University, Whittingham's career took off. In 1995, he joined his father on the staff of the Utes as their defensive coordinator. He served under both Ron McBride and Urban Meyer before it was announced in 2004 that he would be the newest head coach.
The stat of his career was rocky as the Utes. After replacing Meyer in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl, the '05 team finished the season 7-5, albeit with a bowl win against Georgia Tech. That seemed to be the story for the first couple of years as his career, as whether it have been QB injuries or overall team adversity, the Utes struggled to get back to the team they were when Whittignham took over. But the Utah athletic department remained patient, because Whittingham was still leading these limited teams to bowl games. It would only be a matter of time before Utah were relevant again.
In 2008, Whittingham lewd the Utes to an unbeaten record, surprising the Crimson Tide in the 2009 Sugar Bowl as well. As a result, Whittingham was named the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year. However, more impressive feats were to come.
Utah made the decision to join the Pac 12 in 2011, where they immediately met the same adversity as Whittingham had faced in his first few seasons with the team. However, Whittingham's tenure was continuously extended. That loyalty would ultimately pay off in the 2020s, when Whittingham had his largest period of success with the program. He led them to back to back Pac 12 title games and championships and back to back Rose Bowl appearances. Most Penn State fans will be shocked to know that Whittingham has faced this team before, losing to them in the 2022 edition of the game. Still, Whittingham had proven that a long career is vital to success in college football. Most impressively during that time was his surpassing ofm Ike Armstrong as the winningest coach in Utah history.
After one last hurrah in 2025, Whittingham knew it was time for a different challenge. He stepped down from the Utah position and agreed to a five year contract with the Wolverines in December of that year. Now, he is struggling through a tough season with the program, sitting at 3-2 with two losses already in Big Ten play. Still, he can achieve a modicum of revenge over Penn State and a team packed with players he has experience coaching against.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: A quick glance at Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham