The Michigan Wolverines’ head coach, Kyle Whittingham, is facing allegations from six former University of Utah football players. They claim that Whittingham, during his tenure at Utah, pressured players to return from injury before fully healed.
Among the accusers, defensive end Van Fillinger shared his experience with The Salt Lake Tribune. Fillinger stated that after breaking his tibia, he had planned a redshirt season to recover. However, when another player tore his ACL, Fillinger’s position coach met him in rehab with unexpected news.
“Coach [Lewis Powell] came into rehab one day and he said, ‘Hey, Van, coach [Kyle] Whittingham is not going to let you redshirt,’” Fillinger recounted. “I’m thinking, ‘What the hell? I’ve already been out three games.’ He added, ‘I’ll be kicked off the team if I don’t play.’
Whittingham, who is now with Michigan, defers questions to Utah, stating that medical decisions were led by the medical team, not by him or his staff.
The University of Utah’s athletic department, together with University of Utah Health, emphasized their commitment to student-athletes’ health.
University Statement:
“The University of Utah Department of Athletics follows all University and national guidelines to ensure student success and safety. We routinely evaluate our processes and are open to adjustments if policies don’t meet expectations. We encourage any student-athlete with concerns about treatment or injury management to speak up for reassessment and support.”
Another ex-player, Jaylon Glover, noted discrepancies between the training and coaching staff, suggesting the latter pushed for players’ speedy return to assist the team.
“I feel like a lot of the times the training staff would be on one page, but the coaching staff was on another because it was all about, ‘We need him back,’” Glover explained.
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