University of Michigan reportedly hires Utah's Kyle Whittingham to be its next coach

Kyle Whittingham will begin the next phase of his coaching career at Michigan without waiting for Utah’s appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Multiple reports indicate that Whittingham is set to join the Wolverines in Orlando, Florida, as the team prepares for its Citrus Bowl matchup against Texas. Michigan officially confirmed Whittingham’s hiring late Friday, Dec. 26.

Kyle Whittingham will replace disgraced coach Sherrone Moore

Whittingham has reportedly agreed to a five-year contract to take over in Ann Arbor, succeeding Sherrone Moore. The move marks only the second head coaching position of Whittingham’s career, following a remarkable 22-year tenure leading the Utah Utes.

"Kyle Whittingham is a well-respected and highly successful head coach who is widely recognized as a leader of exceptional character and principled leadership," Michigan athletic director Warden Manuel said in a statement. "Throughout our search, he consistently demonstrated the qualities we value at Michigan: vision, resilience, and the ability to build and sustain championship-caliber teams.

"Kyle brings not only a proven track record of success, but also a commitment to creating a program rooted in toughness, physicality, discipline and respect — where student-athletes and coaches represent the university with distinction both on and off the field. We are excited to welcome Kyle to the University of Michigan family as he takes the helm of our football program."

The Las Vegas Bowl was initially expected to serve as Whittingham’s final game at Utah after he announced that he was stepping down. He later explained to reporters that he was not retiring, joking that he was instead “in the transfer portal.”

Whittingham becomes only the second Michigan head coach since Bo Schembechler’s retirement in 1990 to take the job without a prior connection to the program. He arrives in Ann Arbor with a career head coaching record of 177–88.

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