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Michigan coaching search: Utah's Kyle Whittingham emerges as top target

Danby: Daniel Hager12/26/25DanielHagerOn3

Outgoing Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has emerged as the top target for the Michigan head coaching job, On3‘s Pete Nakos reports. On3’s The Wolverine first reported that Whittingham to Michigan was picking up steam Thursday night.

Whittingham stepped down from Utah at the end of the regular season, his 21st season leading the Utes. While many believed that decision indicated he would be retiring, that’s clearly not the case. Whittingham even joked that he was “in the transfer portal” just last week.

“I’m a free agent, I’m in the transfer portal,” Whittingham said. “Like I said, I’m at peace and I did not want to be that guy that overstayed his welcome with people just saying, ‘Hey, when’s this guy gonna leave?’ That was not my intention, ever. I hope I didn’t do that. I’m sure with some people, I did do that, but the timing to me, the timing is right.”

Prior to Whittingham’s departure from Utah, he was the second-longest tenured head coach in the country, behind just Iowa‘s Kirk Ferentz (27 seasons).

The San Luis Obispo, Calif., native took over the Utes program in a tough spot after former head coach Urban Meyer departed for the Florida opening, leaving Whittingham to coach the Utes in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. No. 6 Utah dominated No. 21 Pittsburgh, 35-7, in the game, which led to Whittingham getting the promotion from defensive coordinator to full-time head coach.

The move worked out swimmingly for both parties, as Whittingham established Utah as one of the most consistent programs in all of college football. Across his 21 seasons at the helm, he led the Utes to a 177-88 record with three conference championships — one in the Mountain West, and two apart of the Pac-12), eight 10-win seasons, and an 11-6 bowl record. A coach of Whittingham’s pedigree would seemingly be a strong hire for a Michigan program that has dealt with nothing but trouble since it won the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship.

Kyle Whittingham would be sixth Michigan HC in 31 seasons

Should he be hired at Michigan, Whittingham would succeed head coach Sherrone Moore, who was fired for cause earlier this month after a university investigation found credible evidence that he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Moore was then charged with home invasion in the third degree, stalking, and breaking and entering post-firing.

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel listed Whittingham as one of Michigan‘s top-three targets. He now appears to be the top target.

“So, pushing forward on Michigan, here’s what we know about where they are,” Thamel said on ESPN’s Get Up. “There’s three candidates right now that I think are in their crosshairs; that’s Eli Drinkwitz (the Missouri coach), Jedd Fisch (the Washington coach), and obviously soon-to-be former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.

“Those are considered gettable coaches for Michigan, but they all come with complications. Drinkwitz has a bowl game on the 27th and Fisch has a roster he’s attempting to retain at Washington. With the Portal, it’s a high-stakes game of Poker when every single college football player essentially is a free agent come Jan. 2.”

If hired, Whittingham would take over as the sixth Michigan head coach in the past 31 seasons.