Former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has emerged because the lead determine in Michigan’s teaching search, sources confirmed to CBS Sports activities’ Matt Zenitz. Whttingham, 66, stepped down in December after 21 seasons main the Utes, and he left the door open to persevering with his legendary teaching profession elsewhere. A deal is predicted to be finalized on Friday, in line with a number of reviews.
Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck is predicted to comply with Whittingham to Michigan to imagine the identical place, whereas BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill is predicted to be one of many names of curiosity to fill that position for the Wolverines underneath the brand new regime.
Over greater than three many years with the Utes, first as an assistant after which as head coach since 2005, Whittingham cultivated a clear picture and a successful program. Each elements would make him engaging to the Wolverines, who’re looking for to show the web page from a scandal-ridden period with out taking a step again on the sector.
Michigan is within the midst of an exterior overview centered on its dealing with of Sherrone Moore, who was fired with trigger on Dec. 10 after proof surfaced that he had an inappropriate relationship with a workers member. Moore, who had been this system’s offensive coordinator throughout Jim Harbaugh’s scandal-marred tenure, was subsequently charged with felony dwelling invasion and stalking.
Whittingham’s ultimate Utah crew completed 10-2 (7-2 Massive 12) this previous season earlier than the college introduced on Dec. 13 that he could be stepping all the way down to make means for head coach-in-waiting Morgan Scalley to start his tenure. Nevertheless, Whittingham remains to be slated to educate the Utes within the Las Vegas Bowl towards Nebraska on New 12 months’s Eve.
Utah reached the Rose Bowl in each 2021 and 2022 underneath Whittingham after successful 11 video games in 2019. Arguably his finest season with the Utes got here in 2008, nonetheless, when Utah went 13-0, beat Alabama within the Sugar Bowl and completed No. 2 within the AP ballot.
Michigan’s search course of
Moore’s firing got here after the early signing interval for highschool prospects and nicely earlier than the switch portal opens on Jan. 2, which eradicated any want for the Wolverines to hurry the hiring course of.
Although Michigan was a late entrant to what’s been a busy teaching carousel, the Wolverines have been the one Energy 4 faculty available on the market for the previous couple of weeks. Given the job’s attract as one of many nation’s finest, the listing of names related to the opening in some capability was sturdy.
Amongst them have been Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham and Louisville’s Jeff Brohm. The elevation of interim coach Biff Poggi additionally loomed as a possible possibility if the Wolverines struggled to discover a appropriate candidate. Poggi has been main Michigan because it prepares to play Texas within the Citrus Bowl on New 12 months’s Eve.
Stabilizing pressure
Hiring Whittingham as an alternative of elevating Poggi, who can also be 66, would sign that Michigan is OK with a comparatively short-term rent however that it needs to perform a few issues within the meantime. First, touchdown one of many longest-tenured and most profitable sitting head coaches on the Energy 4 degree reveals the Wolverines are severe about contending within the Massive Ten and have little interest in taking a step again competitively as they kind their means via the wreckage of what Harbaugh and Moore left behind.
Elevating Poggi may have been interpreted as a gesture of give up for the 2026 season after he went 6-16 as head coach at Charlotte in 2023 and 2024. Secondly, hiring Whittingham would present the college is intent on transferring ahead from its previous. Poggi served two stints underneath Harbaugh at Michigan, together with one as this system’s affiliate head coach in 2021 and 2022. Truthful or not, he’s seen as a product of that period.
So whereas Whittingham will not be a long-term answer, he is greater than a stopgap interim. He is a confirmed winner who may also help this system flip the web page from the turmoil of the Harbaugh and Moore eras. As he wipes the slate clear, this system can start making ready to make a run at an enormous title sooner or later within the comparatively close to future.
Utah dynamic
Hiring Whittingham may arrange an fascinating tug of conflict for each staffers and gamers between Michigan and Utah. What’s sure is that Whittingham will likely be with out Scalley as his defensive coordinator for the primary time for the reason that 2015 season.
As Scalley launches his Utah tenure and places his personal spin on issues there, will he have the ability to fend off a well-resourced Michigan program led by Whittingham? One of many prime storylines to observe will likely be Whittingham’s urge for food to recruit from Utah’s roster and training workers. It was at all times assumed that when the Whittingham to Scalley transition occurred at Utah, Whittingham could be retiring.
As a substitute, he has landed an excellent higher job. If he makes an attempt to construct the Wolverines program with Utah expertise, it may make for a clumsy dynamic that will have been tough to think about only a few weeks in the past.
