Whittingham: Michigan's offense will suit Underwood 'to a tee'
New Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham made no secret about how important quarterback Bryce Underwood is to his vision for the program during Sunday's introductory press conference.
Officially announced as Michigan's head coach on Friday, Whittingham raved about Underwood's ability and noted that the two had a "great conversation" during a 45-minute meeting Sunday, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.
"He's a special young man, carries himself the right way," Whittingham said. "Quarterback's got to have that 'it factor' and Bryce has the 'it factor.'"
Whittingham added: "His ceiling is very high, and the offense we're going to bring in here, I think, is going to suit him to a tee. I think he's going to really excel and have a great experience."
Underwood appears to share Whittingham's enthusiasm for the future, saying Saturday that he's "very excited to figure out what kind of guy" his new coach is, according to Isaiah Hole of Wolverines Wire. As a freshman, Underwood threw for nine touchdowns to six interceptions during the 2025 campaign, adding five more scores with his legs.
A former five-star recruit, Underwood is the centerpiece of a Wolverines program in need of stability. Michigan fired head coach Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10 after an investigation found "credible evidence" that he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
Whittingham said Sunday that he's bringing a player-first philosophy to Ann Arbor.
"My culture is going to be with the players," Whittingham said, according to Anthony Broome of TheWolverine.com. "Like I said, I know the gist of what transpired, but not fazing me. The players are a great group of kids. They're hungry, and that's where my focus is. I'm a football coach, and my focus is on coaching the team."
The 66-year-old added that he's circled the College Football Playoff as the Wolverines' goal.
"You got to get the playoffs," Whittingham told reporters, including Tony Garcia of the Detroit Free Press. "That's our expectation. That's my expectation. Big 10 championships, obviously, get to the playoffs, but if you get to that 10-win mark, that usually is a pretty good indicator."
Whittingham, who stepped down from his coaching job at Utah earlier in December, noted that he has "a lot left in the tank," per Rittenberg. Whittingham is the winningest coach in Utes history with a 177-88 record.
Michigan is slated to take on Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31.