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Michigan hired former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on Friday, a move that will be met with favorable reviews.
Given the state of the program in the aftermath of Sherrone Moore's unceremonious firing – this is a win for the Wolverines, similar to how Penn State landed Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.
Whittingham, 66, took over for Urban Meyer at Utah after the 2004 season. Whittingham kept the program competitive in the Mountain West Conference, Pac-12 and Big 12 – and Michigan offers something in return for the long-time coach – one he never got in all those seasons with the Utes. What is that?
Better College Football Playoff access in the Big Ten. If you believe age is just a number, then Whittingham-to-Michigan should work out for at least the next five years.
MORE: Everything to know about Sherrone Moore scandal, following arrest
Why did Michigan hire Kyle Whittingham?
Michigan could not afford to wait on a shot at Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer – who led the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl with a 34-24 victory against No. 8 Oklahoma on Dec. 19. Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham – another target – signed an extension to stay with the Sun Devils.
The Wolverines were thin on options heading toward the opening of the transfer portal window on Jan. 2, and the program needed a coach to fix an unstable environment in Ann Arbor.
Jim Harbaugh led Michigan to a national championship in 2023, but the Wolverines were subject to a pair of NCAA investigations – one from impermissible contact with recruits during COVID-19 and the other the in-person scouting and sign-stealing scandal involving former staffer Connor Stalions. Moore was fired on Dec. 11 after "credible evidence" was found he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
Michigan needed a no-nonsense makeover that made a clean break from the Harbaugh era – and from that standpoint Whittingham is the perfect coach to take that on. It should be noted that Utah is 3-0 against Michigan under Whittingham, and all of those wins came at notable inflection points for the Wolverines' program.
On Aug. 30, 2008, Utah beat Michigan 25-23 in Rich Rodriguez's debut with the Wolverines – an ominous harbinger for a three-year period in which the Wolverines went 15-22. Utah finished 13-0 that season.
On Sept. 20, 2014 – Utah beat Michigan 26-10. That fast-tracked the end of the Brady Hoke era. On Aug. 30, 2015 – the Utes beat the Wolverines 25-23 in Harbaugh's debut at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Now, Whittingham takes over at one of those turning points.
Grading Kyle Whittingham to Michigan
We gave Penn State an A- for hiring Campbell. Did Michigan land a similar hire given the circumstances? Whittingham was ranked No. 13 when Sporting News ranked the coaches 1-136 this season, and that was coming off a 5-7 season at Utah. Look at some of the other coaches on that list in between the gap to DeBoer – who was at No. 6.
James Franklin (No. 8) is at Virginia Tech now. Brian Kelly (No. 9) was fired by LSU and replaced by Lane Kiffin (No. 10). Whittingham had a 177-88 record at Utah.
Since the start of the CFP era in 2014, Michigan is 111-40. Utah is 101-49. The Wolverines have won 10 or more games six times. The Utes have won 10 or more games five times – including a 10-2 season this year.
Utah has 36 NFL Draft picks since 2015 – and Whittingham has a solid track record of player development. That includes three first-round picks in tackle Garrett Bolles (2017), linebacker Devin Lloyd (2022) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (2023). Tackle Spencer Fano won the Outland Trophy and was a Unanimous All-American this season. Whittingham's teams are known for their physicality. The Utes ranked second in the FBS with 269.8 rushing yards per game.
Whittingham faced criticism for his handling of injury reports this season in the Big 12. For the most part, Whittingham avoided scandal during two-plus decades with the Utes, and that kind of a well-respected reputation is exactly what the Michigan athletic department needs right now given the temperature around athletic director Warde Manuel.
Whittingham's age and the circumstances from his departure from Utah will be scrutinized, but those concerns should be secondary for Michigan. Imagine the reaction had the Wolverines hired Kelly, a 64-year-old coach who had head coaching stints at Grand Valley State and Central Michigan. It would have been met with far-more criticism. Whittingham has built a reputation as one of the “good guys” in the sport, and now we get to see it on the biggest stage in the Big Ten.
Grade: A-
MORE: Ranking the eight remaining College Football Playoff teams
Will Kyle Whittingham lead Michigan back to CFP?
That will be the expectation. Michigan finished 8-5 in 2024 in Moore's first season, and the Wolverines were 9-3 this year. That was not enough to get back to the College Football Playoff after three straight appearances from 2021-23.
This is the carrot for Whittingham. Utah never made the four-team CFP.
Utah finished 12-0 as the Mountain West Conference champion in the regular season in 2008, and that was good for No. 5 in the final BCS standings. The Utes pushed up to No. 5 in the CFP rankings in 2019 before a 37-15 loss to No. 13 Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game. Utah finished 10-2 in the Big 12 this season but was No. 15 in the final CFP rankings. Whittingham has fought for respect in all of those conferences, but Michigan offers a different opportunity.
If you get to 10 wins with the Wolverines, then you will be in the College Football Playoff almost every time. Michigan was close this season. The 2026 schedule is brutal with four games against playoff teams from this season, including home games against Oklahoma and No. 1 Indiana and road games at No. 5 Oregon and No. 2. Ohio State. Speaking of rivalries, Whittingham was 11-6 against BYU in the Holy War, albeit with head-to-head losses in the Big 12 each of the last two seasons.
The key will be the coaching staff, especially with Whittingham's age. Michigan needs an offensive coordinator like Utah's Jason Beck who can immediately maximize the talent around sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood and maintain the defense that stood out during the national championship run in 2023. That combination seems more possible with Whittingham on a shorter timeline than the other candidates, and the timing is what it is.
It's a good hire.
That's all Michigan can ask for at this point.
SN AWARDS: 2025 All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year
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