The 22nd head coach of Michigan football has been revealed.
After the abrupt firing of Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10 over an extramarital affair with a staffer, the Wolverines will now be led by longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.
It’s been over 30 years since Whittingham was on staff at a school other than Utah, but now he’ll head to Ann Arbor to take over a Michigan program needing some stability.
Here are a few things to know about the next coach of Michigan football.
Comes from a football family
Whittingham’s father, Fred, played professional football in the 1960s and early 70s as a guard and linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys among others. He went on to coach in the NFL and college ranks with the Rams, BYU and eventually at Utah as defensive coordinator. Whittingham joined his father on Ron McBride’s Utah staff in 1994 as D-line coach and brought Fred back from 1998-2000 after becoming defensive coordinator, himself.
Coached under Urban Meyer before the Ohio State days
Whittingham spent over 30 years at Utah before stepping down at the conclusion of the regular season. That included serving as defensive coordinator for eventual Ohio State coach Urban Meyer for two seasons in 2003-2004. After Meyer left for Florida, Whittingham took over as head coach and held the role for 21 seasons.
Became the all-time winningest coach at Utah
Meyer went 22-2 as Utah’s head coach, but Whittingham wasted little time in establishing himself as a suitable successor. He posted seven consecutive winning record to begin his tenure, including a 13-0 2008 season with a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama and an 8-5 record in Utah’s first season rising up to the Pac-12. He’s gone on to have eight 10-win seasons, win the Mountain West once and the Pac-12 twice and finished his tenure at Utah with a 177-88 record, the most wins in program history. Relying on a brand of physical football served Whittingham well, which he now brings to Michigan.
Has one of the strongest track records against Michigan
Among his impressive feats is a 3-0 record all-time against Michigan, himself. Trips to Ann Arbor in 2008 and 2014 and a victory in Salt Lake City in 2015 in Jim Harbaugh’s first game with the program highlight his resume. The 2008 victory was Rich Rodriguez’s Michigan debut and the 2014 win was Brady Hoke’s final non-conference game with the Wolverines before his firing.
This is the second time he will be coaching away from the state of Utah
Beyond more than 30 years spent with Utah, he’s rarely left the state where he grew up. After graduating from Provo High School he went to BYU — where his father was coaching — eventually becoming a graduate assistant and then earning his first real coaching job as defensive coordinator at JUCO College of Eastern Utah. A six-season excursion to Idaho State, becoming defensive coordinator there, preceded his return to Utah, for good. Now he’s trading in Utah for Michigan, a new challenge for one of the most experienced coaches in college football.
