Kyle Whittingham says appeal of Michigan football job was obvious
New Michigan football coach Kyle Whittingham said the appeal of the job was obvious on Sunday, Dec. 28, in Orlando.
For the 17th time of his storied career, Kyle Whittingham will once again be on the field for a bowl game come Wednesday, Dec. 31 — only, it won’t be with the team he coached at the beginning of the season.
While his former Utah Utes team takes on Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl, Whittingham will be some 2,300 miles away in Orlando, Florida, monitoring Michigan football as the Wolverines take on Texas in the Citrus Bowl.
Michigan made the splash hire of Whittingham to replace Sherrone Moore, who was fired with cause by the university on Dec. 10 after the university found he was “engaged in an inappropriate relationship” with a staff member. Moore was arrested the same day he was fired and charged two days later with a felony and two misdemeanors.
Curiously, Whittingham announced his intent to step down from Utah the same day Moore was charged. While he initially planned to coach the Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl, the 22-year Utah coach said he wasn’t retiring but, instead, was “in the transfer portal.”
The timing of Whittingham’s decision worked out well for Michigan, which gets an established coach with a history of success on the field and, perhaps more importantly, no history of off-field scandals. Whittingham will now be tasked with steering the Wolverines’ program after two years of scandals, including from Moore’s predecessor, Jim Harbaugh.
Here’s what to know on Whittingham’s whereabouts on New Year’s Eve:
Where is Kyle Whittingham?
Whittingham will be somewhere inside Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida watching his new program, Michigan, compete in the Citrus Bowl against Texas. The 66-year-old was officially hired at Michigan on Dec. 26.
The Wolverines’ hiring of Whittingham makes him just the second Wolverines coach since Bo Schembechler retired in 1990 who did not have a previous tie with the program.
Why did Kyle Whittingham step down at Utah?
Whittingham announced on Dec. 12 that he would step down from his position at Utah following the Las Vegas Bowl. He clarified his decision to reporters on Dec. 18, saying he wasn’t retiring and was instead “in the transfer portal.”
The plan to step down after the Las Vegas Bowl changed after he was hired at Michigan. He immediately joined the Wolverines for their bowl prep in Orlando.
In his introductory news conference at Michigan on Sunday, Dec. 28, Whittingham said it “felt like the time was right” to leave Utah. He also mentioned Michigan provided him with the “right opportunity” to stay in coaching, as he’s got “a lot of energy” left in the tank.
“When I stepped down, one thing I didn’t want to be was the coach that just stayed too long at one place,” Whittingham said. “With 21 years, you’d say, ‘Well, you did stay too long,’ but (Utah) ended up 10-2 this year. I thought this program is in a great place right now, excellent players, excellent coaching staff.
“I was able to hand the torch to my defensive coordinator, Morgan Scalley, who’s an outstanding young football coach, and I just felt like the time was right to exit Utah. But I’ve still got a lot of energy and felt like, hey, if the right opportunity came, then I would be all-in on that. That’s what Michigan afforded me.”
Who is coaching Utah football in Las Vegas Bowl?
Morgan Scalley will coach Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. Scalley, the Utes’ defensive coordinator, has been the coach in waiting since 2024. He was officially named the full-time head coach at Utah on Dec. 13, after Whittingham announced he was stepping down.
Is Kyle Whittingham coaching Michigan football in Citrus Bowl?
No. Whittingham is not expected to coach Michigan in the Citrus Bowl against Texas. Instead, Wolverines associate head coach Biff Poggi will continue to serve as the program’s interim head coach for the bowl game.
Poggi, a longtime assistant coach at Michigan, immediately endorsed the hiring of Whittingham on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account.
“Michigan Football is in GREAT hands under Kyle Whittingham. … ” Poggi wrote on Friday, Dec. 26. “Proven winner, true gentleman, tough nosed Michigan coach of days gone by. Great hire by Warde Manuel. The kids will love him. Exciting days ahead for Michigan.”
Kyle Whittingham record
Whittingham brings an impressive 177-88 overall record to Michigan. He was the second-longest-tenured active coach in Division I FBS.
