New Michigan football head coach will join Wolverines for Citrus Bowl

Michigan football hired longtime Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to a five-year deal on Friday. Now, with the transfer portal window opening in a week and his new team being in Orlando preparing for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Texas, Whittingham is wasting no time in getting to work for the Wolverines.

On Friday night, ESPN college football insiders Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel reported that Whittingham has made a decision to head to Orlando and join Michigan there instead of finishing the season out with the Utes, opting to not coach Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31 against Nebraska.

Inside the decision

Thamel and Wetzel reported Whittingham informed the Utah players and staff on Friday night of his decision to make the quick transition to Michigan.

"It is paramount for Michigan that he get to Orlando to meet with his new team and the players’ family members to get going on his new job," Thamel wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Oct 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham watches the team warm up before the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Thamel also reported that through cooperative efforts between the two programs, the schools worked together to find a solution on the matter on Friday. Morgan Scalley, who is set to take over as the full-time coach at Utah in 2026, will coach the game against Nebraska for the Utes next Wednesday.

"After telling his team in Las Vegas that he’s leaving, Whittingham is set to fly to Orlando and get to work as Michigan’s head coach," Thamel wrote.

Why it's paramount for Whittingham to get started at Michigan right away

With the winter transfer portal opening on Jan. 2, it's important for Whittingham to begin building relationships with the current players on the team is soon as possible in order to retain as much of last year's possible—a roster that is filled with both youth and talent on each side of the ball.

While building those relationships, Whittingham will likely be able to communicate a plan to the Wolverine players and potentially give them an idea on position coaches who may be joining Whittingham in Ann Arbor.

The timing of the situation makes for a difficult decision as Whittingham would likely want to finish out the season. However, if he did stay with the Utes until the new year, he would be missing out on valuable time to set the Wolverines in the best position possible in 2026 and beyond.

Nov 22, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Andrew Marsh (4) spins on a punt return in-between Maryland Terrapins defenders during the first half at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

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