Kyle Whittingham Faces Allegations from Former Utah Players

Kyle Whittingham, now the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, is facing allegations from six former players who were part of his teams at the University of Utah. These players have come forward with claims that they were forced to return from injuries before fully recovering. The allegations were first reported by The Salt Lake Tribune.

Van Fillinger, a former defensive end for the Utes, shared his experience. He was trying to recover from a broken tibia and had agreed with his position coach to take a redshirt season for recovery. However, Fillinger was approached by his position coach who informed him of a change in plans after another player suffered an ACL injury.

“Coach [Lewis Powell] came into rehab one day and he said, ‘Hey, Van, coach [Kyle] Whittingham is not going to let you redshirt,’” Fillinger stated. “I’m thinking, ‘What the hell? I’ve already been out three games.’”

Fillinger felt compelled to play, fearing he would be kicked off the team if he refused.

The current Michigan spokesperson directed inquiries back to Utah, asserting that Whittingham did not make medical decisions and relied on the medical team’s guidance. University of Utah’s athletic department emphasized that students’ health and safety are paramount.

“The University of Utah Department of Athletics follows all University and national guidelines to ensure student success and safety,” the statement noted. “We routinely evaluate our processes and welcome opportunities to make adjustments if necessary.”

Another former player, Jaylon Glover, offered a slightly different perspective, mentioning a gap between the training staff’s intentions and the coaching staff’s urgency to have players return to the field.

“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,’” he shared.