The sport’s biggest names, as it pertains to this Michigan coaching search, have stopped just short of offering a blood oath.
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer and Arizona State leader Kenny Dillingham both have been persistently linked to the current vacancy atop Michigan’s scandal-scarred football program, which fired Sherrone Moore — later arrested — on Dec. 10 following a hastily concluded probe into Moore’s off-the-field behaviors.
Neither DeBoer nor Dillingham has expressed interest in the Wolverines job.
“With the mess at Michigan, I just don’t think you’re going to see a lot of the quote unquote top guys interested in that job,” said an industry source this week. “Who’s going to want to walk into that mess?”
With a department-wide probe announced by Michigan leadership into athletics, athletics director Warde Manuel is both trying to find a coach for one of college football’s most significant brands while simultaneously facing very real questions from potential candidates and agents, sources shared with FootballScoop, about whether or not he’ll even be Michigan’s A.D. by the time the 2026 season kicks off.
Sources told FootballScoop that in recent days, Michigan officials conducted Zoom calls with players’ families and at that time informed the families that the “goal is to have a coach hired by Christmas.”
It was also stressed to FootballScoop, again, that timing remains critical for Michigan to have any chance of retaining much of its roster.
“This is the time of year where most guys are negotiating and finding out how much they’re going to get paid next year,” an agent with Big Ten Conference players told FootballScoop, “and instead, these guys don’t even know who’s going to be their coach.”
DeBoer this week issued a statement via Alabama’s collective that he intended to return to college football’s title-town — Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
“My family and I are very happy in Tuscaloosa (Alabama) and remain extremely grateful for the support of President (Dr. Peter J.) Mohler, (athletics director) Greg Byrne, the Board (of Trustees) and so many others,” said DeBoer, who when directly questioned by a reporter said “Yes, I hope so” that he intended coach the Tide in 2026. “We have an incredible opportunity in front of us, so my sole focus is on Alabama football and our preparations to play Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff.”
Added DeBoer’s predecessor Friday night on ESPN’s College GameDay program before the Alabama-Oklahoma College Football Playoff game, “Kalen Deboer has the total and complete support of the University of Alabama. They want him to be the head coach,” Saban said.
Multiple sources told FootballScoop that Washington coach Jedd Fisch, a former Wolverines assistant under Jim Harbaugh, “has no traction at all in this process. Not right now.”
Dillingham was so visibly choked up earlier this week as he discussed his love of Arizona State that he paused his post-practice press gathering to compose his emotions.
Arizona State officials already initiated talks with Dillingham on a contract extension.
However, several sources this week told FootballScoop that Dillingham’s revamped contract had not been signed; that component has been eliminated now that Dillingham signed the new deal Saturday morning.
Sources shared that he wanted additional funding for his assistant coaches’ salary pool and more money for the Arizona State roster. Those will be elements to monitor moving forward at Arizona State.
Sources have consistently told FootballScoop that a pair of NFL offensive coordinators — Cleveland’s Tommy Rees and Green Bay’s Adam Stenavich — are most certainly on Michigan’s radar in this search process.
But neither coach is seen as Michigan’s top choice — at least not at this stage in the search.
Additionally, sources on Friday told FootballScoop that former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter — currently Jim Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator with the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers and architect of Michigan’s 2023 national championship defense — remains a candidate in the Michigan search.
So, too, does Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who’s already announced that the Utes’ upcoming bowl game will be his last at the helm of the Utah program.
Whittingham represents what Michigan has not had for quite some time; a head coach with an impeccable record with the NCAA and also a proven winner.
Minter, however, is not without significant support. Sources told FootballScoop on Friday that Minter had strong support even from some members of Michigan’s Board of Regents.
Similarly, Minter also has his detractors; he was, after all, at the center of the Connor Stalions scandal that has sent a perpetual shadow over Michigan’s 2023 title, a campaign in which Minter, Harbaugh and Moore all served suspensions.
Ex-LSU and Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly expressed interest in the job, multiple sources told FootballScoop, and was expected to speak with Michigan officials this past week. It’s unclear if Kelly has any real traction but he has consistently told people close to him and other coaches since he was fired from LSU that he’s “got one more (coaching run) in me.”
Timing, also, remains crucial in this Michigan search. The Wolverines are set to face Texas Dec. 31 in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
The NCAA Transfer Portal opens two days later, Jan. 2, 2026, and runs 14 days. Michigan must have a coach in place prior to that time or risk seeing the vast majority of its roster declare for what amounts to college football free agency.
Biff Poggi is the Wolverines’ interim head coach, and he is viewed as an option as a “one-year fix,” per sources, if Michigan cannot effectively conclude this sudden search.
