“He said that I’ll be kicked off the team’: Michigan coach under fire after former players make shocking accusations
· Yahoo Sports
The University of Utah football team is facing scrutiny after six ex-players reportedly accused the coaching staff of pressuring them to play through injuries or return earlier than instructed, under previous head coach Kyle Whittingham, who now leads the Michigan Wolverines. On Friday, the Salt Lake Tribunepublished an article addressing the matter.
Whittingham built a strong resume during his tenure as the Utah Utes football coach, but players under his tutelage from the 2020 to2024 seasons have come forward to call out the coach for his management of their injuries.
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Defensive end Van Fillinger of the 2024 Utah team spoke on the matter, revealing his injury experience with the team.
“I went to the doctor again, and he said I should be out for at least six weeks, fully rested,” Fillinger recalled.
“His position coach agreed to let him redshirt, preserving a season of eligibility while he recovered,” Jason Batacao of the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
“Three weeks later, Utah edge rusher Logan Fano went down with an ACL tear. Fillinger, a defensive end, said his position coach approached him again.”
“Coach [Lewis Powell] came into rehab one day, and he said, ‘Hey, Van, coach [Kyle] Whittingham is not going to let you redshirt,’” Fillinger said. “I’m thinking, ‘What the hell? I’ve already been out three games.”
Fillinger added, “He said that I’ll be kicked off the team if I don’t play.”
Mycah Pittman, son of former NFL player Michael Pittman, also spoke about his experience while injured at Utah.
“My ankle got caught under the defender, and then they rushed me to the doctors because of the way it looked,” Pittman said.
“I didn’t get an MRI,” he continued. “They took me to the team doctor, and he looked at my swelling and just told me I had a lateral sprain.”
“More than a month later, when his ankle didn’t improve, Pittman said he sought an evaluation from an outside ankle specialist at his father’s urging. An MRI found a partially torn Achilles and a high ankle sprain,” Batacao reported.
“I was telling the trainers something’s wrong, like this is not supposed to happen,” Pittman said. “I couldn’t run. It hurt to walk and to cut. It hurts to do everything. Nothing was being done about it.”
When asked directly about the accusations, a University of Michigan spokesman told the Tribune that Whittingham and his coaching staff did not make medical decisions and followed the medical team’s lead.
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