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SALT LAKE CITY — Michigan called and Kyle Whittingham answered.
A week after Whittingham said he'd listen to coaching offers and declared himself in the transfer portal, the long-time coach has accepted the head coaching job at Michigan, according to several national reports. The offer is a five-year deal that averages out to $8.2 million per season, according to ESPN.
Several reports linked Whittingham to the Michigan job early Friday, saying he was the primary target of the university. By the afternoon, it was reported Whittingham accepted the deal, with Michigan making the news official late Friday.
"Kyle Whittingham is a well-respected and highly successful head coach who is widely recognized as a leader of exceptional character and principled leadership," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. "Throughout our search, he consistently demonstrated the qualities we value at Michigan: vision, resilience, and the ability to build and sustain championship-caliber teams.
"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 student-athletes and coaches represent the university with distinction both on and off the field. We are excited to welcome Kyle to the University of Michigan family as he takes the helm of our football program."
Whittingham said he's "honored" to oversee Michigan, which is "synonymous with tradition and excellence — both on the field and beyond — and our entire program is committed to upholding those values while striving for greatness together."
"My family and I are thrilled to join the University of Michigan community, and we look forward to helping our players grow, develop, and reach their highest potential — on the gridiron, in the classroom, and as leaders. It's a privilege to be part of something that inspires pride in every Wolverine fan. Go Blue!"
Long believed Whittingham would retire after a 21-year head coaching tenure at Utah, the all-time winningest coach for the Utes instead announced he would "step down" as the university moved to make defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley the program's new coach.
But Whittingham's finish at Utah was far from a retirement announcement as he became a "free agent" amid one of the most chaotic coaching carousels in recent history, including one that left Michigan looking for a head coach after Sherrone Moore was fired for cause a couple weeks ago for an improper relationship.
"Somebody once told me that every year that goes by you're a coach, 10% of the fan base starts to hate you," Whittingham joked last week. "So after 20 years, they all, plus their kids and grandkids, probably hate me. So anyway, it was a good run. It was a good run. I'll say it one more time, I didn't want to be that hanger on that just kept — people just got sick of."
Whittingham had long declared that he wanted to set up Utah for success after him, even saying last week that Utah was "in a good spot." He was also a major proponent of Scalley being named the head coach in-waiting prior to what was to be his retirement from the university.
"We've got good coaches, coach (Morgan) Scalley will come in and do a great job, got good players, so now is the time," he said.
Utah traveled to Las Vegas Friday afternoon ahead of its bowl game on New Year's Eve, where Whittingham met with his team and told them of the news. In what was expected to be his last game at Utah, Whittingham will now skip the Las Vegas Bowl and travel to Orlando, where he will meet up with Michigan ahead of their bowl game against Texas the same day.
As such, Scalley will officially take over as head coach for the Las Vegas Bowl after expecting to make the transition on Jan. 1.
"Morgan Scalley is fully prepared to take over leadership of the Utah football program, and we join him in keeping our focus on our team, and supporting our student-athletes through this final game of the 2025 season at the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31," Utah athletics director Mark Harlan said in a statement.
More pressing, though, is that offensive coordinator Jason Beck is viewed as Whittingham's top target to join him at Michigan to be the program's new offensive coordinator, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Additionally, Zenitz also reported that BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill would be Whittingham's top target for defensive coordinator at Michigan.
It's expected other coaches connected to BYU and Utah will be in the mix for Whittingham's staff in Michigan, though current members of the Wolverines staff will remain in place.
In a parting statement to Utah fans, Whittingham said in a statement that the university and football program "mean a great deal to me, and I am proud of what we have built together."
"I appreciate the support from the University of Utah allowing me to step away at this time. I also want to thank our fans. Your loyalty, passion, and support have been second to none. Whether at Rice-Eccles Stadium or representing Utah across the country, you have made this time special and created memories that will last a lifetime.
"Utah will always hold a special place in my heart, and I wish coach Scalley and the program a smooth transition and continued success moving forward. Thank you for everything."
