Kyle Whittingham agrees to five-year deal to be Michigan football's next head coach

Sources have confirmed Utah’s Kyle Whittingham has agreed to a five-year deal to be Michigan’s next football coach. The 21-year veteran of the Utes program, 66, stepped down this season but said he was still hoping to coach … and he got his chance when U-M offered him a contract. It’s expected to be finalized later today or early tomorrow morning.

RELATED: Michigan football closing on Kyle Whittingham – On potential staff (coordinators, Tony Alford?), player retention, donors, more

We reported last night that Michigan was ready to move on Whittingham 15 days after Sherrone Moore’s firing. He’s Utah’s all-time winningest coach, amassing a 177-88 record during his time in Salt Lake City. The Las Vegas Bowl vs. Nebraska was supposed to be Whittingham’s final game, but sources say he could opt out to start coaching the Wolverines.

Whittingham said the time was right to walk away after more than 30 years with the Utah program, where he started out as defensive line coach in 1994.

“The time is right to step down from my position as the head football coach at the University of Utah,” Whittingham said. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to lead the program for the past 21 years, and I’m very grateful for the relationships forged with all the players and assistant coaches that have worked so hard and proudly worn the drum and feather during our time here.”

The Athletic reported that Whittingham “… is not retiring, according to a source close to the coach, and may pursue other coaching opportunities.” Sources told us representatives for Whittingham reached out to Michigan to gauge interest when the job opened. Though it seemed like a long shot given his age, “he still has that fire and that desire to do something in some capacity to help some team win,” his son, Kansas City Chiefs’ assistant defensive line coach, Alex Whittingham, told the Salt Lake Tribune.

In short, he still wanted to coach. From Heartland College Sports: 

“Whittingham just wrapped up one of the most impressive coaching runs we’ve seen in modern college football. Two decades at the same school. Success across three conferences, the Mountain West, Pac-12, and Big 12, as a program that became a problem for anybody who walked into Rice-Eccles. He turned Utah into a national name, and now he walks away on his own terms. Kind of.

“Because here’s the thing, that fire Alex mentioned doesn’t just go away. Coaches like Whittingham aren’t wired to retire and fade out. They want to be in the mix, even if it’s behind the scenes. Whether it’s a consulting gig, analyst job, or just being a quiet advisor to the next guy in line, don’t be surprised if Whittingham pops up on a staff somewhere. And don’t be shocked if it’s not in Utah.

“If Kyle Whittingham says he wants to help “some team” win, there’s going to be a lot of teams hoping they’re the one he has in mind.”

That team will be Michigan.

Watch for more on this hire in the hours and days to come …