More than two weeks after the shocking firing and arrest of coach Sherone Moore, the University of Michigan on Friday hired outgoing Utah coach Kyle Whittingham to lead the Wolverines’ scandal-plagued football program.
The program announced the hiring decision Friday night, saying Whittingham’s five-year contract runs through the 2030 season.
Athletics Director Warde Manuel said that throughout the search for a new coach, Whittingham “consistently demonstrated the qualities we value at the University of Michigan: vision, resiliency and the ability to build and sustain a championship-caliber team.”
“Kyle brings not only a proven track record of success, but also a commitment to creating a program rooted in toughness, physicality, discipline and respect, where our student-athletes and coaches will represent the university with excellence on and off the field,” he said in a written statement announcing the deal.
Whittingham announced two weeks ago that he would step down as Utah’s winningest coach, but the 66-year-old did not rule out coaching again.
It has been widely reported that Whittingham will step down from his position of more than 20 years to take over from defensive coordinator Morgan Scully, who was hired as the “head coach-in-waiting” in July 2024.
If Whittingham had returned for the 2026 season, Scully would have been named his successor and would have been in his third year.
“My family and I are excited to join the University of Michigan community and look forward to helping our players grow, develop, and reach their highest potential on the field, in the classroom, and as leaders,” Whittingham said in a statement. “It’s an honor to be a part of something that inspires pride in every Wolverine fan.”
The University of Michigan, the winningest program in major college football, is looking to right the ship rocked by scandal.
The school announced on December 10 that Moore had been terminated “with immediate effect for cause.”
“The university’s investigation found credible evidence that Coach Moore had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member,” the school said in a statement. “This behavior clearly violates university policy, and UM will not tolerate such behavior.”
After being fired, Moore confronted the female employee and threatened to harm herself, saying things like “My blood is on your hands” and “She ruined my life,” prosecutors said.
Moore, 39, was charged with burglary, stalking and trespassing.
On Nov. 20, 2023, Michigan suspended football analytics assistant Connor Stallions after the school discovered he was suspected of filming opponents’ sidelines so the Wolverines could decipher signals.
On January 8, 2024, the University of Michigan defeated the Washington Huskies 34-13 at NRG Stadium in Houston to win the national title. However, the championship ring has lost some of its luster due to the sign-stealing scandal.
The NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers hired Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh two weeks later.
Federal prosecutors announced on March 30 that former assistant football coach Matthew Weiss was charged with hacking into the digital accounts of 3,300 students and downloading intimate photos and videos.
In hiring Whittingham, the Wolverines get a coach who has led a largely scandal-free program that has won two-thirds of its games without the glamor or resources of its West Coast peers like USC or Oregon.
Whittingham coached Utah State to a record of 177-88 (.668) with three 10-win seasons over the past five seasons.
University of Michigan President Domenico Grasso said in a statement that Whittingham is “the perfect fit for the University of Michigan at this time.”
It wasn’t immediately known whether Whittingham would bring Utah’s assistants to Ann Arbor, which is common when head coaches change jobs in college football.
Whittingham’s secondary coaches include 14th-year cornerbacks coach Sharif Shah, whose student-athletes played a key role in Utah’s strong pass defense this season.
Shah is married to former “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah.
The No. 15 Utes are scheduled to play Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl on Wednesday. Michigan will face No. 13 Texas in the Citrus Bowl that day.
