Hate is a strong word — and not one Kyle Whittingham wants to use to describe his feelings for Ohio State.
Speaking at Big Ten Media Days on Thursday, the Wolverines’ new head coach said the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry should be intense and emotional, but not rooted in hatred.
“I’ve learned how intense that rivalry is and how important the game is,” Whittingham said. “Hate is a strong word, but I want to win that game as badly as anybody in Ann Arbor.”
Before becoming Utah’s head coach, Whittingham spent a decade as the Utes’ defensive coordinator, including two seasons under Urban Meyer in 2003 and 2004. The two developed a close relationship during their time together and have remained close ever since.
Whittingham said he and Meyer frequently discussed The Game during Meyer’s tenure at Ohio State, giving him an appreciation for the greatest rivalry in sports. That appreciation has grown into a deep respect for both programs.
When asked whether he planned to lean into the animosity that existed between Ryan Day and former Michigan coaches Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore, Whittingham said the thought had never crossed his mind. Instead, he wants to approach the rivalry his own way.
“I just think a rivalry can be intense and emotional without the hatred factor. I don’t think there’s any place for that personally,” Whittingham said. “I think Ryan Day is a good person. To sit here and say I hate Ryan Day, I’d be making crap up because that’s not true.”
Whittingham said he knows Day “casually” after coaching against him in the 2022 Rose Bowl, a 48-45 Ohio State victory. Later that year, Utah’s 47-24 win over USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game clinched the Buckeyes a spot in the College Football Playoff, prompting Whittingham to deliver a cheeky on-air message: “Coach Day, you’re welcome.”
Whittingham’s perspective was perhaps best illustrated by how he closed his media session. The former Meyer assistant said the Ohio State legend is welcome to attend Michigan football practices this season — just not the week leading up to The Game.
“If Urban wants to come to practice, he can come every week but one,” Whittingham said with a smile. “There’s one week he can’t come.”
