Michigan
Kyle Whittingham knows what Michigan football needs
Kyle Whittingham says appeal of Michigan football job was obvious
New Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham said the appeal of the job was obvious on Sunday, Dec. 28, in Orlando.
Michigan football is primed to win now, new coach Kyle Whittingham said this week on “The Dan Patrick Show.”
The Wolverines have made far too many headlines off the field, which is why Whittingham told Patrick the organization needs to simply get back to focusing on the reason they’re all together as a team − football.
“The place doesn’t need a rebuild, it needs a reboot of trust and getting rid of the drama and just get back to playing Michigan football without all the distractions,” Whittingham said. “It didn’t come from the players. The players were not involved. It was not some player issue – it was just the peripheral.
“Guys here have a great attitude, I met with everyone of them last week at the bowl site. Quality young men, care about academics, excited to be at Michigan, but they’ve dealt with a lot over the last few years.”
Whittingham, 66, takes over as the 22nd head coach in program history after a pair of scandals rocked the previous two men who held his job.
Jim Harbaugh led the Wolverines from 2015-23 − and left on top by winning a national championship − but also was found to have a lack of institutional control in his program by NCAA investigators after two separate NCAA violations occurred under his watch: impermissible recruiting and illegal sign-stealing.
More recently, Sherrone Moore was fired in scandal after he was found to have had a relationship with a subordinate and was subsequently arrested after he allegedly went to her house and threatened his own life − he was jailed for two nights and charged with felony home invasion, misdemeanor stalking and misdemeanor breaking and entering.
Patrick asked if there was any selling point Whittingham needed to hear specifically from Michigan. Whittingham said when he stepped away from Utah in mid-December there were only a handful of program’s he would have even entertained. He called Michigan “a special place.”
“Needed to hear that Michigan was what I thought it was,” he said. “Hey’re committed to winning here, we do have some challenges with entrance requirements, there is a little bit of a hurdle there, but talk about athletes, resources, tradition − it’s all here at Michigan.”
Whittingham also quipped about the irony of previously being a team that wore red (Utah) whose primary rival wore blue (BYU) to flipping that. It’s also not lost on him that his mentor, Urban Meyer, went 7-0 against Michigan in his tenure in Columbus − Whittingham joked at his opening press conference that Meyer’s name alone might be considered a “four-letter word” in Ann Arbor.
“Blue was our rival at Utah for years,” he said. “Now I’ve got to get used to saying, ‘Go Blue.’”
Whittingham is in the throes of one of the busiest times on the college football calendar. The transfer portal opened for a 15-day window Jan. 2-16, setting off a scramble to both retain players, scout the database and find appropriate fits for the team.
Whittingham has only known his roster and coaches for approximately 10 days – he said while down in Florida he was going to “lock himself” in a room at Schembechler Hall in Ann Arbor to watch film on the players on his roster. He has been able to keep Bryce Underwood, Andrew Marsh, Andrew Babalola, Blake Frazier, Evan Link, Jake Guarnera and Zeke Berry − the last two of whom had put their names in the transfer portal before indicating their return to U-M for 2026.
With money flowing, back-channeling frequent and poaching at an all-time high, Whittingham doesn’t see college football’s current model as something that will last as currently constructed for more than a handful of years.
“It is not sustainable, there’s no question about that,” Whittingham said. “Something’s gotta give. Within a 2- to 4-, 5-year window, you’re going to see a major overhaul of Division I football. I think it’s going to become more of a minor league NFL model. I think you’re gonna see a salary cap, collective bargaining, players as employees.
“I think all that’s coming because we cannot maintain this pace.”
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
Spring in Michigan comes alive with one thing: tulip season, with millions of tulips blooming across the state.
Anyone who’s experienced the Tulip Time Festival in Holland knows it’s more than just fields of flowers— it’s a lively mix of parades, Dutch heritage, concerts, magic shows and a weeklong celebration built around one of Michigan’s most beloved traditions.
Whether you’re heading there this year or just want to celebrate spring at home, official merchandise from The Holland Sentinel offers an easy way to do exactly that. From meaningful keepsakes to everyday essentials, these pieces help keep the tulip season alive long after the last petals fall.
Here’s everything to know to shop our exclusive Holland Sentinel Tulip Festival merch.
Get Holland Sentinel Tulip Festival merch
Heading to the Tulip Festival in Michigan? Shop tulip-themed merch
The Sentinel Tulip Dad Hat
The Holland Sentinel Tulip Stainless Steel Tumbler
The Holland Sentinel Tulip Reusable Shopping Bag
The Holland Sentinel Tulip Teddy Bear
The Holland Sentinel Tulip Windmill Bandana
When is the Tulip Time Festival?
The Tulip Time Festival is taking place now through May 10, 2026. It’s a world famous tulip festival that makes for a perfect spring getaway.
Where is the Tulip Time Festival?
The Tulip Time Festival is in Holland, Mich. which transforms a charming Lake Michigan destination into a sea of vibrant color every spring.
Shop the entire Holand Sentinel Tulip collection
How many flowers are at the Tulip Time Festival
There are expected to be five million tulips at this year’s Tulip Time Festival.
How old is the Tulip Time Festival
This year will be the 97th edition of the Tulip Time Festival, with the first show dating back to 1929.
How long does shipping take at USA TODAY Co. Store?
Orders typically are processed and shipped within two to five business days. However, this doesn’t include pre-order items, which will have their shipping estimates listed in the product description.
Shop the full Tulip Festival collection
President Donald Trump’s campaign to politically punish Republicans who stand in his way moves through Indiana on Tuesday, when seven state senators face Trump-backed primary challengers.
In neighboring Ohio, primaries for U.S. Senate and governor will lock in the candidates for two major races with national implications.
And in Michigan, voters in a bellwether district will fill a vacancy in the state Senate, a race with implications for the balance of power in a battleground state.
Here’s what to watch for.
How strong is Trump’s grip on the Republican Party?
Trump is taking aim at seven Republican state senators in Indiana who opposed his plan to redraw congressional district boundaries to help the party gain seats in the U.S. House.
Groups allied with the president have spent millions on advertising, an extraordinary flood of cash and attention into races that are typically low profile.
The races are a test of Trump’s enduring grip over his party as Republicans grow increasingly anxious about the midterm elections in November.
The results will signal to Republicans everywhere about how big a price they’ll pay with their voters if they distance themselves from Trump even as his popularity fades. And it will show the president whether he can still credibly threaten consequences for Republicans who cross him.
The Trump-targeted state senators all represent districts he carried in 2024, mostly by 20 percentage points or more.
The key races to watch are districts 1, 11, 19, 21, 23, 38 and 41.
Ohio races get started in earnest
The state’s primary is the wind up to the big show. Although Ohio has become increasingly conservative, Democrats believe their path back to a U.S. Senate majority runs through the state.
They’re putting their hopes behind former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost Ohio’s other Senate seat to Bernie Moreno in 2024.
He’s expected to face off with Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed last year to fill the vacancy created when JD Vance became vice president.
The race is a special election to fill the last two years of Vance’s term.
In the campaign for governor, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has parlayed his national name recognition, tech industry connections and alliance with Trump into a record fundraising haul. He’s largely ignoring Republican rival Casey Putsch, focusing his rallies and television ads on the general election.
An engineer and vehicle designer who calls himself “The Car Guy,” Putsch has attracted fans with provocative YouTube videos that troll Ramaswamy and criticize national Republicans over their handling of the Epstein files, positions on energy-guzzling data centers and support for Israel.
Amy Acton, Ohio’s former public health director, is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. She played a key role in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Will Democrats sweep another special election?
The special election for a state Senate seat in central Michigan carries outsized importance.
It’s another test of enthusiasm in a series of special elections that have swung almost universally toward Democrats since Trump returned to the White House. It also could affect the balance of power in the Michigan State Capitol. A Democratic victory would give the party a firm majority in the state Senate, while a Republican win would deadlock the chamber in a 19-19 tie.
The district is closely matched. Democrat Kamala Harris beat Trump there by less than 1 point in the 2024 presidential election.
The seat has been vacant for more than a year, since Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet resigned to take a seat in Congress.
Democrats are showing surprising strength in special elections and off-year contests across the country, winning races in unexpected places and significantly narrowing the gap, even when they fall short.
There’s no guarantee the trend will continue through the midterms, when turnout will be much higher, but it has nonetheless energized Democrats and spooked Republicans worried about keeping their congressional majorities.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
- Four early-career journalists have joined Bridge Michigan for the summer
- The internship program is now in its eighth consecutive year
- Alumni have worked at major national and regional news outlets
Four emerging reporters will spend the summer working with Bridge Michigan.
This marks the eighth year of summer internships at Bridge. Alumni have gone on to careers at outlets like The New York Times, USA TODAY, MLive, the Petoskey News-Review and WKAR, as well as paths including Harvard Law School and a Fulbright scholarship. One former intern, Asha Lewis, now serves as Bridge’s full-time digital marketing associate.
“At Bridge, we’re dedicated to helping make Michigan a better state and part of that mission is growing the next generation of great journalists,” said Joel Kurth, Bridge Michigan executive editor for impact. “We’re excited to welcome them to our newsroom.”
Isabella Figueroa Nogueira is a junior studying journalism and economics at Michigan State University. During the school year, she is a writer for Great Lakes Echo, which covers stories about the environment and sustainability.
She is passionate about using journalism to explore the connection between people, policy and the natural world. Outside of writing, she loves to travel, watch movies, spend time with friends and walk her dogs, Oso and Polo.
Figueroa Nogueira will be reporting on Michigan’s environment through Aug. 21.
Nate Miller is from Berrien Springs, Michigan. He will be a senior at the University of Michigan, where he studies English.
Miller will be a general assignment reporter for Bridge through June 19.
Blace Carpenter is a rising senior at Central Michigan University, studying journalism with a minor in multimedia design. Since starting his career in the news industry in 2022, Carpenter has worked for publications such as the Grand Haven Tribune, Alpena News and Greenville Daily News.
Carpenter has also had some work published in statewide and national publications. For the past year, he has served as the managing editor of CMU’s student publication, Central Michigan Life.
Carpenter will report on northern and rural Michigan for Bridge through Aug. 14.
Ella Miller is Bridge Michigan’s photojournalism intern. A metro Detroit native and recent graduate of Central Michigan University, she studied photojournalism and multimedia design.
She was a staff photographer and photo editor at Central Michigan Life during her time in college, where she discovered her love for visual storytelling and community-centered journalism.
Related
-
New Hampshire4 minutes agoVail Resorts drops sales tax on ski passes at NH mountains
-
New Jersey10 minutes ago80-year-old crossing guard killed after being hit by car while helping kids cross street in New Jersey – AOL
-
New Mexico16 minutes agoLawsuit over New Mexico prison suicide to be settled for $2.4 million
-
North Carolina22 minutes agoNC Senate advances property tax reappraisal moratorium
-
North Dakota28 minutes agoConnections Tourism: Projects in Wheatland, Mountain and Lakota win North Dakota tourism grants – KVRR Local News
-
Ohio34 minutes agoSherrod Brown wins Ohio Democratic Senate primary
-
Oklahoma40 minutes agoFederal marijuana changes could impact how Oklahoma dispensaries operate
-
Oregon46 minutes agoOregon spa advertised on escort website, offered commercial sex acts, police say