Outgoing Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has emerged as the main focus of the Michigan coaching search, according to multiple reports.
The Wolverine’s Chris Balas first reported Thursday night that Whittingham was picking up steam in the search to replace Sherrone Moore, who was fired earlier this month. ESPN’s Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel followed up with a report on Friday morning that Whittingham’s candidacy is “expected to be shared with top Michigan officials” on Friday. A deal, according to ESPN, could come together in the “near future.”
Utah and Whittingham announced on Dec. 12 that he would step down after the team’s bowl game, ending a 21-year tenure as the school’s head coach. The 66-year-old succeeded Urban Meyer after he left to take the Florida job, and piloted Utah’s football program through 2 conference switches.
The Utes are 177-88 under Whittingham, who was a 3-time Coach of the Year in the Mountain West (2008) and the Pac-12 (2021-22). Utah has gone 11-6 in bowl games under Whittingham, including a Sugar Bowl win over Nick Saban-led Alabama in 2008.
Whittingham also led the Utes to Pac-12 championships and Rose Bowl appearances in 2021 and 2022.
The assumption from many when Utah announced that Whittingham would be stepping down was that the future Hall of Famer would be retiring. Whittingham has faced persistent questions in recent years about how much he has left in the tank, but in subsequent media availabilities, Whittingham made clear he wasn’t quite done yet.
Michigan fired Moore for cause on Dec. 10, days after signing its 2026 recruiting class. With the transfer portal set to open on Jan. 2, there has seemingly been a sense of urgency to find a new coach, and Michigan has been linked to several high-profile names, including Kalen DeBoer.
Whittingham, one of the highest-regarded coaches in the sport, would give the Michigan program something it has lacked in recent years — stability and respectability. Though it won a national championship in 2023, Michigan’s standing has been tainted by numerous scandals. Michigan was tagged by the NCAA for recruiting violations under former coach Jim Harbaugh, it was embroiled in a sign-stealing scandal that gripped the sport, and then it was thrust into the spotlight again when Moore’s firing led to an arrest and criminal charges.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
