The Michigan Wolverines are in a rough spot as a program at the moment. The team is now 3-2 on the season following consecutive losses to Iowa and Minnesota, respectively.
The offense has scored more than 19 points just once this season, which came in a blowout win over a lowly UTEP program.
Highly-paid quarterback Bryce Underwood takes a lot of the blame, and rightfully so. Yet a former member of Michigan’s coaching staff decided to call out those now in charge alongside Kyle Whittingham in 2026.
Former Michigan Staffer Calls Out Current Coaches
The name Connor Stalions carries a negative connotation in the college football world. He was the individual at the heart of Michigan’s alleged cheating scandal under Jim Harbaugh. He is now a pariah, yet still makes his thoughts known on social media.
Stalions took to X to share his unfiltered thoughts on the 2026 Wolverines. He shared a thread that focuses on what he deems to be malpractice by the coaching staff.
“This is college football,” he wrote. “You need the talent, but you need the leadership to empower the talent. There were 3 current NFL Head Coaches empowering the talent in 2021-23. One is the current Super Bowl champ, with 2 other former Michigan staffers as ST Coordinator and Defensive Run Game Coordinator. Right now, we’re not seeing anything close to that. There’s coaching malpractice on a weekly basis, and it’s in every area. Clock management, lack of situational awareness, and making things extremely easy for the opposing play callers.”
Stalions uses game film to call out the coaches for issues with time management, personnel, and situational awareness. He specifically highlights how the controversial win over Western Michigan was created by poor clock management in the first place.
“Do the players need to execute better?” he continued. “Absolutely. And it starts with Bryce. He knows that. But before we decide Michigan just needs to bench its 5-Star QB to put a backup in a very unfair spot, the first question to ask is if these guys are being put in any position to succeed.”
It’s clear Stalions still has plenty of passion for Michigan football. The problem is his reputation is so tarnished it’s hard for him to make credible points without receiving backlash.
Connor Stalions’ Spot in Program History
Stalions resigned from the program in 2023, just months before the team won the national championship. Harbaugh bolted to the NFL, leaving Sherrone Moore to take over and struggle in two years before he was forced out of the job due to his legal issues.
Michigan fans may claim the team won without Stalions’ influence, while detractors will point to his tactics being what helped Michigan win the national title.
The interesting part of his saga is that Stalions is still only 31 years old. He potentially had a promising career ahead of him, but now his name is forever associated with the concept of cheating.
Disgraced Former Michigan Staffer Slams 2026 Coaching Staff