Brady Quinn's Michigan Theory: Is Kyle Whittingham Trying to Get Fired?

It's been a disaster in Year 1 of Kyle Whittingham, and it wasn't supposed to be this way. Sherrone Moore caused off-field issues, yet the Wolverines won nine game under him last season. This year, Michigan brought in a potential Hall of Fame coach from Utah, who has caused on-field issues.

The Wolverines need one more win to gain bowl eligibility and with three ranked teams left on the schedule, who knows if that happens. Michigan will head to Oregon this week to take on a Ducks team that beat both Northwestern and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks.

Michigan has the 132nd-ranked offense after nine games and it resulted in Whittingham firing Jason Beck, who was the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the nation. While Beck is gone, Whittingham is far from being off the hot seat and Fox analyst Brady Quinn has an interesting take on Whittingham.

Whittingham's buyout theory

Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald and Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham talk at midfield — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Whittingham signed a five-year, $41 million contract. He has around a $25 million buyout if the Wolverines fired him without cause — no, poor play isn't cause. Whittingham had one foot out the door in his final season at Utah, and the Utes had a great final season under Whittingham.

While Michigan signed him, and he said he was full of life and energy during his first press conference, his lack of emotion and apparent lack of care makes Quinn — who stated it's a tounge and cheek theory, — while some fans actually wonder if he's trying to get fired and take a nice lump sum with him into the sun.

"I mean, a lot of people thought he would retire to Utah," said Quinn on '2 Pros and a Cup of Joe'. "I don't know that he would have come back out for just any job. It feels like this job was unique. It's Michigan. It's a big deal. He's going to get paid a lot of money to be there. And so, that's one that might make you rethink about retirement [as he's turning 67].

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"Reports are coming out he didn't ever even move to Ann Arbor. He's renting a place. This is leading me to believe that maybe this was like one of those, all right, I'll go out there and try, but if things go that bad — basically I'll get canned and I and I'll get the golden parachute — they'll buy me out and I can just now go off into retirement with a little bit more money than what I intended.

"Maybe that was the direction of what he was essentially doing is saying like how can I add on to my retirement without really changing much. Oh, I'll just go run a place in Ann Arbor, go coach there for a year, and then I'll just get I'll get fired at the end of the season for basically burning the thing to the ground."

Quinn was clearly joking about Whittingham trying to get fired, but this has been a clear topic being discussed by fans.

While that might sound crazy, is it?

Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham reacts next to quarterback Bryce Underwood — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Whittingham has had an accomplished career at Utah, and his ego has certainly taken some hits since coming to Ann Arbor. He has said several times this is the biggest challenge he's faced as a head coach.

While Utah is a good program, the Utes aren't in the national media like Michigan. The microscope is huge at Michigan and every comment and action made will get scrutinized. Whittingham's comments have been a talking point all season. Playing down trophy games, giving Michigan State bulletin board material, and most recently, talking about Oregon and Dan Lanning's money spent on their roster.

Either this is how Whittingham has always been and nobody really knew it with him being at Utah, or maybe Quinn's joking theory is onto something. It's hard to imagine any coach of his magnitude would be trying to get fired. But if his insane antics continue, it's going to make people wonder even more.

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