Michigan Issues Statement About Decision to Hire Kyle Whittingham As Next Head Coach

The Wolverines made their coaching hire official on Friday night.

Whittingham went 177–88 over 22 seasons at Utah. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

It’s a new era in Ann Arbor.

Michigan announced Friday that it officially hired former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham as the 22nd head football coach in program history. Whittingham signed a five-year contract through the 2030 season, and he will earn a reported average of $8.2 million per season over the length of the deal.

In a statement issued Friday night, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel explained why the university decided to hire the 66-year-old Whittingham.

"Kyle Whittingham is a well-respected and highly successful head coach who is widely recognized as a leader of exceptional character and principled leadership," 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.”

Whittingham arrives in Ann Arbor after 22 seasons at Utah in which he went 177–88 and led one of the most consistent programs in all of college football. Since 2014, Utah finished with at least nine wins eight times, including a 10–2 record in ‘25.

Whittingham announced plans to resign from his position at Utah earlier this month. The Michigan job opened up after the university fired Sherrone Moore following an investigation that revealed evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Shortly after his dismissal, Moore was arrested and charged with felony home invasion and two misdemeanors.

"After speaking with Coach Whittingham and reviewing his record both on and off the field, I am confident he will bring dignity, integrity, and fierce competitiveness to the program, while serving as a powerful role model for our student-athletes and staff," Michigan president Domenico Grasso said in a statement. "He also places a strong emphasis on the academic mission of college athletics, reflected in a 93% graduation rate, among the highest in the college football power conferences.

“Coach Whittingham is exactly the right fit for the University of Michigan at this time.”

Michigan is coming off a 9–3 season and will play against Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31. The Wolverines last made the College Football Playoff during their national championship season in 2023.

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