Michigan football Christmas wish list heading into 2026

It is Christmas Day, and gifts will be opened from under the tree across the country. With that, if it were possible to make a Christmas list for Michigan football, what would make the cut?

Here is my Michigan football Christmas list, with three things I would love to see from the program over the next year.

Hire a Coach

The most obvious thing all Michigan fans are asking for is a head coach, ideally, before the transfer portal opens on Jan. 2.

Currently, the top candidates seem to be Jeff Brohm (Louisville), Kyle Whittingham (Utah) and Biff Poggi (Michigan interim head coach).

Personally, I think it would be best to have an external hire to help separate the program from what has happened.

Poggi also does not have a great track record as a head coach. He was a great choice to hold the program down during the ongoing coaching search and is a likeable guy, but while with Charlotte (2023-24), he posted a 6-16 overall record as the head coach. Michigan is a premier program that needs to hire a coach who has proven he can run a successful program.

Brohm would be my top choice between the three coaches. He has experience coaching in the conference, finding success at Purdue, which has fewer resources and opportunities than Michigan.

Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm on the sidelines during the game against Kentucky Saturday, November 29, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

However, the consensus still is that there is no clear candidate, so if a new frontrunner emerges in the coming days, that shouldn’t be a surprise.

Develop Bryce Underwood

It seemed like freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood really did not take any sort of leap from the beginning of the season to the end.

That was evident in the Ohio State game. Underwood did not stand in the pocket, missed open receivers and wasn’t keeping his eyes down the field. He has a ton of talent; he just needs to be developed.

The Wolverines did not have a dedicated quarterbacks coach this season. Ideally, the head coach hired knows how to develop quarterbacks, or they bring someone in who can. Whether that be a specific offensive coordinator after the departure of Chip Lindsey to Missouri, or a QB coach.

To clarify, this is not blaming Underwood for the Wolverines’ falling to the Buckeyes. Rather, it is pointing out that he has areas of improvement and plays the most important position in football, which will always receive more attention.

Beat Ohio State

Yes, it is far away, but how could you leave off winning the most important game of the year and the biggest rivalry in college athletics.

Michigan Wolverines defensive back Jyaire Hill (20) and Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) are separated in the first half of the NCAA football game at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After falling to Ohio State for the first time since 2019 this season, UofM will have revenge on its mind.

Defeating the Buckeyes would also be important to a good start for whoever takes over the program.

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