Kyle Whittingham reportedly hiring coach with Midwest ties to Michigan's staff

This looks to be a key hire for the Wolverines

Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham waves at the crowd as he is being introduced on the floor during the first half between Michigan and USC at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham is making another addition to his offensive staff.

On Sunday, Football Scoop's John Brice reported that the Wolverines are hiring Nevada offensive coordinator Mike Lynch in an offensive analyst role and will work under new offensive coordinator Jason Beck.

NEWS: New Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham is adding an experienced, ex-ACC @theACC offensive coordinator to his @UMichFootball Wolverines staff, @FootballScoop has learned: https://t.co/2JWRIC1mj8

— John Brice (@JohnDBrice1) January 4, 2026

Lynch was with the Wolfpack for two seasons as 2025 was his first season as the offensive line coach.

He first began coaching in 1999 as a restricted earnings coach at Montana and has been in the college game ever since.

Lynch's coaching history

Before coaching Nevada's running backs and offensive line the past two seasons at Nevada, he spent the previous eight seasons (2016-23) at Syracuse as the program's running backs coach.

Despite injuries hampering Nevada's running back room in 2024, the team still rushed for 1,284 yards under Lynch's guidance, the most for the program in a single season since 2019 at the time.

See photos from the UNLV-Nevada football game on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025 at Mackay Stadium. | Tom R. Smedes/Special to the RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the Orange, Lynch coached an offense in 2021 that rushed for the fifth-highest yardage in program history, finishing with over 2,500 yards as a team. The attack was led by Sean Tucker, who ran for a program record 1,496 yards and ranked fourth in college football with over 124 rushing yards per game. Tucker was a two-time All-ACC selection.

Before coming to Syracuse, Lynch was in the Midwest with Bowling Green from the Mid-American Conference. In 2015, Lynch helped one of the nation's most explosive offenses as the co-offensive coordinator, as well as being the offensive line and running backs coach for the Falcons. That season, Bowling Green ranked in the top 10 nationally in first downs, total offense, passing offense, third down conversion rate and scoring offense. The unit powered Bowling Green to A MAC title that year.

Prior to adding co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach to his duties, Lynch served as the running backs coach for the Falcons in 2014. That season, he mentored a trio of backs who combined for over 2,000 yards rushing and 26 touchdowns to help the Falcons capture the MAC East Division crown and a bowl victory.

Before being hired at Bowling Green, Lynch was an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois from 2005-13. He spent his final two years at EIU as the running backs coach and mentored a pair of 1,000-yard rushers. Most of Lynch's first six years at EIU were spent working with the wide receiver group.

After he got his start in coaching with Montana in the late 90s, Lynch spent five seasons with the Utah State Aggies from 2000-05. There, he coached three tight ends who ended up signing with NFL teams.

As a player, Lynch, a Roseville, Calif. native, was an offensive lineman for Sierra Junior College before finishing his college career at Montana in 1997 and 1998.

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