Michigan football fans usually have a bit of a hate-hate relationship when it comes to former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, but as we've seen on this page, there's at least a curiosity as to his opinions of the Wolverines, if not a grudging respect. But now, there will certainly be a bit more Meyer love (perhaps that's too strong a word) given that his friend, Kyle Whittingham, is now the head coach of the maize and blue.
Meyer ceded his Utah post to Whittingham, his defensive coordinator with the Utes, when he left for the Florida job. The duo have been friends since their time in Salt Lake City, and thus, as Whittingham has told it, once he got the call that he was being offered the job in Ann Arbor, Meyer was his first call.
On3 did a feature story on why Whittingham took the Michigan job on Wednesday, and they also spoke to Meyer in the process. With that, he not only shared his thoughts on the fit for Whittingham and Michigan, but also what he believes is the new Wolverines' head coach's biggest strength.
“Yeah, I’m a Buckeye, so my first thought was, ‘What?’” Meyer said sharply. “He’s my friend. Kyle and I are really close, but it didn’t take long for me to put two and two together. Not only did I tell him that I think it was a great move, but it was exactly what that school in Ann Arbor needed.
“He can see what a player is going to be, whether he’s a two-star or five-star,” said Meyer, the head coach at Utah in 2003 and 2004 when Whittingham was his defensive coordinator. “And when he gets those players on campus, they only get better and they’re fundamentally sound. His teams are always great tacklers because they work at it, and he believes in it. He played linebacker himself. He’s as good a football coach as I’ve ever been around.”
That's high, high praise in every facet, especially for a coach who loathes Michigan so much he won't even say Michigan.
While there will be few high-fives and handshakes for Meyer in Ann Arbor (though that slowly seems to be changing somewhat, from what we've seen), his admiration for his friend, who just so happens to be the Wolverines' head coach, will certainly bolster the confidence of the maize and blue faithful -- and perhaps chagrin those in Columbus a little, if not a lot.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Urban Meyer on new Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham