In response to the special teams lulls, the Wolverines made a coaching change, hiring special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs. In Coombs’ first game as on the Wolverines’ sideline, the special teams looked better than they had all year. With the bar being set so high, Michigan will benefit from a head coach who’s well-versed in special teams. Whittingham is a self-proclaimed “special teams guy” who spent several years as a special teams coordinator, and has a well-defined philosophy of what he wants his units to look like. After a disappointing 2025 season, Michigan has made special teams a priority, both in the portal and throughout the coaching staff.