With the college football season starting to wind down, there is one head coaching search still going. That would be in Ann Arbor, where Michigan football still has not found the next man to lead the Wolverines after the firing of Sherrone Moore.
Now, they may be closing in on a candidate. Former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has emerged as the top target in the search, according to Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of ESPN.
“Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has emerged as the focus of the Michigan coaching search, sources told @PeteThamel and me,” Wetzel wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Michigan has struck out on a number of options since the job became open after Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer reaffirmed his commitment to the Crimson Tide and Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham inked a new contract to remain in Tempe for the foreseeable future.
Whittingham has built a reputation as one of the best coaches in the country during his 21 seasons at Utah, and he especially excels at getting the most of the pieces that he has. At a Michigan program that has significantly more resources and avenues to acquire talent, this could be a home run hire.
The longtime Utes head coach stepped down from his perch after a 2025 season where Utah finished 10-2, just missing out on a spot in the Big 12 title game and the College Football Playoff. He will coach his final game for Utah on Dec. 31 in the Las Vegas Bowl against Nebraska.
Whittingham has accomplished a lot in Salt Lake City, finishing with a 177-88 record in 21 years after taking the job before the 2004 Fiesta Bowl. He won three conference championships during the Utes' time in the Mountain West and the Pac-12, including a Sugar Bowl victory to cap off an undefeated season in 2008.
Most importantly, Whittingham would be a stable hire for a program that is in desperate need of just that after a decade full of scandals and controversy. While he may not be the young, hot name someone like Dillingham is, that stability would make this a home run hire.
