Let’s face it, not many were pumped when Kyle Whittingham was chosen to be Michigan’s head coach. He had no ties to the region and was making an extremely risky jump from the Big 12 to one of the country’s most storied programs. Some aren’t confident that Whittingham is truly in for the long run. However, the now-Wolverines coach’s latest comments on Bo Schembechler might be his way of answering those doubts.
“I can tell you, it’s very similar to Coach Schembechler,” Whittingham told On3, of his coaching style. “I’ve always been a fan of his, growing up watching it very closely. I read the book, ‘Bo’s Lasting Lessons’ by John Bacon. So, I’ve really got a lot of what we do culturally and philosophies and beliefs are right in line with Coach Schembechler. There are far more similarities than differences.”
Bo Schembechler came to Ann Arbor from the enemy camp of Ohio State; no one was a bigger outsider than he was. But it is he who shaped Michigan football’s identity. Schembechler is the reason Michigan football was back on the map after the days of Fielding Yost and Fritz Crisler. Apart from the successes he brought to the field, he also built the players who made the culture of the program…