Kyle Whittingham will reportedly target this Utah assistant for his Michigan coaching staff

Whittingham's impending arrival in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will likely have a ripple effect on the coaching industry

Long-time Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham is reportedly in line to be the next Michigan Wolverines head coach. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Reports surfaced Friday morning that long-time Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham was set to become the next head coach of Michigan.

Roughly two weeks after it was announced he would be stepping down as the Utes head coach following two-plus decades at the helm, Whittingham was in line to take over a Wolverines program that had recently fired Sherrone Moore and named Biff Poggi as its interim head coach for its Citrus Bowl matchup against Texas.

With Whittingham taking over, it tracked that Michigan's staff would have some Utah connections to it in due time. Apparently, Utes offensive coordinator Jason Beck was among the names on Whittingham's target list as he prepared for the next stage of his coaching career.

CBS Sports reported Friday that Whittingham was expected to target Beck to be his offensive coordinator with the Wolverines. Beck joined Utah's staff following a stint at New Mexico, where he and quarterback Devon Dampier formed a tight bond that carried over into the 2025 campaign with the Utes.

The Utah offense enjoyed a major turnaround with Beck calling plays for Dampier to execute under center, as the Utes put up 41.1 points per game in the regular season — the third time since 1930 that Utah averaged over 40 points per game — while recording 478.6 yards per game, ranking No. 6 in the Football Bowl Subdivision. For comparison, Utah averaged 23.6 points and 329.8 yards in 2024.

Dampier's dual-threat capabilities played an integral role in Utah's success on the offensive side of the ball. The junior quarterback posted a quarterback rating of 82.0, checking in at No. 9 in the country in that category, and became the first Utes quarterback to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 600 in a season since Alex Smith in 2004.

Dampier has made it clear he's happy to be in Utah. However, his trust in Beck has also been made apparent. Should Beck decide to follow Whittingham to Michigan, it'd be worth monitoring if Dampier decides to enter the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2.

If Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood decides to transfer, that'd clear a path for Dampier to follow Beck with the expectation of being the Wolverines' next signal-caller.

Whittingham is expected to be with the Wolverines for their bowl game against Texas on Dec. 31, according to reports. If that's the case, it'll be worth tracking which players decide to stay in Michigan and which opt to enter the portal.