The Detroit Free Press reports that Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has been hired as the next coach at Michigan. Whittingham fills the vacancy created when Michigan dismissed Sheronne Moore in early December amid off-field controversies.
Whittingham has coached at the University of Utah for for the last 21 seasons, since 2005. He trails only Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (26 seasons has the longest tenured head coach in FBS).
Whittingham, 66 years old, announced earlier in December that he would step down as head coach at Utah after the 2025 season. Whittingham has a career record of 177–88 (.668) with 18 winning seasons.
He adds some stability and much needed experience to a Michigan program in shambles after the ouster of Moore earlier this month.
Kyle Whittingham is exactly what Michigan needs as a program right now.
Runs a disciplined program with an edge to it.
Is a defense first coach who will play complimentary football.
Eager to prove he isn’t done winning.Sounds like what Michigan itself needs. pic.twitter.com/igcW6WfXxI
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 26, 2025
Whittingham began his collegiate coaching career in 1985 as a graduate assistant at Brigham Young University and spent time as a defensive coordinator at the College of Eastern Utah and Idaho State University before joining the University of Utah’s staff in 1994. He became Utah’s defensive coordinator in 1995 and was promoted to head coach in December 2004 following Urban Meyer’s departure.
