During his nine-year tenure as head coach at Michigan, Kipke's teams compiled a 46–26–4 record, won four conference titles, and captured two national championships in 1932 and 1933.

He is one of only three coaches, along with Fielding H. Yost and Bo Schembechler, in Michigan football history to direct teams to four consecutive conference championships.

Kipke played halfback and punter for the football team under head coach Fielding H. Yost.

In his first year as head coach in 1929, the Wolverines struggled, finishing in an eight place tie in Big Ten Conference with a 5–3–1 record.

But Kipke quickly turned things around, leading the Wolverines to four straight conference championships and two national titles between 1930 and 1933.

The 1932 and 1933 national championships teams did not lose any games, and featured All-Americans Harry Newman, Charles T. Bernard, Ted Petoskey, and Francis Wistert.

The one bright spot in the Wolverines 1934 season was the play of the team's most valuable player, center and future President of the United States, Gerald Ford.

Though there were no opportunities to obtain scholarships on the basis of playing football at the time, Kipke helped Ford find a job at the university hospital waiting on tables to earn his meals.

Two days after he died, the crowd at Michigan Stadium stood in a moment of silence during halftime in honor of Kipke.