Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham’s replacement breaks silence on Wolverines raiding Utah originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Michigan Wolverines head coach Kyle Whittingham did what he needed to do in the transfer portal as it pertained to the roster of his former team, the Utah Utes. That’s how Whittingham’s replacement in Salt Lake City, Morgan Scalley, sees it anyway.
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Scalley revealed there is no bad blood or negative feelings towards Whittingham, who took five players from the Utes, including star EDGE John Henry Daley, in the transfer portal this past January after being hired in late December.
Per Scalley, “Did I know he would go to Michigan? No. Did I feel like he could go coach somewhere? One hundred percent. He’s a good coach. And if I’m in Kyle’s shoes, he’s got to do what he feels is best for Michigan … So, of course, he’s going to lean on contacts. He’s going to lean on what he knows. He knew our players, he knew our coaches, and he knows the recruiting environment here in Utah. That’s just him trying to do what’s best for Michigan. I can’t sit there and fault him.”
All in all, that’s a very professional, if unsurprising, take on the situation from Scalley. Whittingham was a major mentor for Scalley, so even if Scalley was mad, he wouldn’t say it on the record.
Michigan taking Utah’s players is a badge of honor for the Utes
If Whittingham had gone to, say, the Texas Tech Red Raiders and pulled off the same heist of the program, Scalley would be singing a different tune. That’s Big 12 bad blood that’d make for entertaining television over the next few years.
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Going to Michigan, though, and taking these players makes it a badge of honor for Utah. The Wolverines, even in what could be a slow-build back to contention, represent one of the top brands in the sport. Michigan wanting your players means you did something right.
Whittingham’s last few recruiting classes with the Utes hovered around the top 30 nationally at times. Sherrone Moore’s final recruiting class fell out of the top 10. With Whittingham’s ability to develop, it’s not surprising to see those Utah players develop into Maize and Blue-caliber transfers.
We’ll see how the Utes survive without Whittingham. Scalley was the coach-in-waiting for a while, so it’s unclear if there are any drastic changes planned. Meanwhile, in a crowded Big Ten, we’ll see if Whittingham has a limited ceiling when he takes over a blue blood at the age of 66 years old.
