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One of the most intense coaching searches during bowl season was finally completed Friday afternoon as the Michigan Wolverines are reportedly set to hire Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham to replace Sherrone Moore next season.
Whittingham's deal is reportedly a five-year contract, per ESPN's Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel, with a formal announcement coming "later today" from Wolverines brass.
Whittingham heads to Ann Arbor with a wealth of coaching experience, as he spent 22 seasons as the Utes coach with a 177-58 record. The Utes are set to play the Nebraska Cornhuskers in their SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl New Year's Eve to close out their season, as they enter the game at 10-2 with a chance at 11 wins for the first time since 2019.
Moore's firing was abrupt, as the Wolverines did so with three weeks to go before their own bowl game, the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs. the Texas Longhorns, which is also set for New Year's Eve in Orlando, Fla.
Regardless of how the bowl game plays out, Whittingham should bring stability to a Wolverines team that hasn't had it in several years. Whether it's a failure to reach the College Football Playoff, win the Big Ten outright (post-Harbaugh), or fast-track Bryce Underwood's development, Whittingham should be able to fix all those holes.
Whether it's right away, though, is a different story. But, if anything, consistency for the Wolverines should be a non-issue, especially considering 17 of Whittingham's 22 seasons in Utah saw him reach a bowl game.
It is going to be fascinating to watch the rebuild unfold, especially with Underwood entering his sophomore season (assuming he sticks around).
Only time will tell.
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