Who is the Predicted Michigan Football Head Coach in 2030?

Michigan just went through its second head coach hiring in the last three years and it's not something the Wolverine faithful want to endure for the near future. However, there is no getting past the fact that Kyle Whittingham is 66 years old, is entering his 22nd season as a college football head coach, and was just pondering retirement.

Whittingham could theoretically coach for another five or so years, and that's what Michigan hopes for. The Wolverines are hoping for a lot of success under Whittingham. But, like all programs face, Michigan will have to search for another head coach at some point in time.

So, let's fast forward to the year 2030. That's what The Athletic's Ralph Russo did. Russo recently predicted the head coach for every Power Four team in the year 2030 and he is not predicting that Whittingham is still in Ann Arbor.

First off, Russo believes offensive coordinator Jason Beck will be the head coach of BYU by then. So, Michigan will target a coach who isn't on the current staff. Instead, he projects UCLA's Bob Chesney as the Michigan head coach in 2030.

UCLA Bruins head football coach Bob Chesney is introduced. — Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

"Maybe the hardest call on the board. Chesney has star qualities. But UCLA is also a tough job. If he can find the formula for success there, he could end up on the short list for just about any job in the country. Otherwise, Westwood might end up being a career speed bump. This pairing is a bet that he figures it out."

Chesney is entering Year 1 at UCLA after he starred at James Madison. He helped lead JMU to the College Football Playoff this season and was a hot commodity in the job search. Obviously, we have no idea how Chesney is going to fare at UCLA and if he isn't a star, then a program like Michigan isn't going to want him.

This exercise bodes the question of how long Whittingham could coach Michigan

Obviously, this was just a fun exercise for The Athletic, but 2030 isn't that far away in the grand scheme of it all. Does Michigan really want a new head coach in four seasons? Probably not.

Whittingham is the fourth-oldest head coach in college football. Iowa's Kirk Ferentz (70) is the second oldest coach behind Bill Belichick at North Carolina. Who knows when Belichick gives it up, but Ferentz seems like he's got another few years left in the tank.

If Whittingham excels at Michigan, then it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Wolverines have Whittingham for another 5-7 seasons.

Either way, it's a moot point. Let's see how Year 1 unravels in Ann Arbor before we look ahead — or to 2030 for that matter.