The Wolverines are reportedly targeting a longtime winner to fill their head coach vacancy.
The Michigan Wolverines are still in need of a head coach for the 2026 college football season. The program fired former coach Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10 following evidence found that he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, after which he was arrested and charged with a third-degree felony and two misdemeanors for unlawfully entering the staff member’s apartment. It certainly makes the vacant role a bit tumultuous, but it’s one of the most coveted jobs in the sport, and a favorite appears to have emerged for the opening.
According to Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel of ESPN, former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has become of the focus of the coaching search for the Wolverines. Per sources, his candidacy is expected to be discussed among top officials on Friday, with the finalization expected later that same day. Whittingham recently announced he would step down from the Utes program earlier in the month but made it clear publicly that he was not retiring, joking he was instead entering the “transfer portal.”
People certainly latched on to that in addition to the “stepping down” wording in his departure announcement, speculating that he was potentially taking or looking at another head coaching job. Should Michigan officials reach that decision and finalize a deal, Utah would then be expected to decide soon on whether Whittingham will coach his 10-2 Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl on New Year’s Eve. It’s certainly expected that Whittingham would immediately prioritize attention on the Wolverines and their current roster once a deal is finalized.
In 21 seasons leading Utah, Whittingham went 177-88, and his 66.8%-win percentage builds a credible resume that is expected to land him into the College Football Hall of Fame. He also led the Utes to a perfect 13-0 season in 2008. He helped transition the program from the Mountain West to the Pac-12, and eventually their home in the Big 12 while promoting a physical, tough program that began on the line of scrimmage.
For the time being, Michigan will be led by interim coach Biff Poggi, who is traversing the team’s final game against Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31 – with potentially as little as 25 players due to opt-outs, according to Poggi. The thought is that Whittingham’s potential hire could be a stabilizing factor for the roster before the transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2 and a mass exodus could begin.