Utah O-line coach joining Kyle Whittingham's Michigan staff

Utes lose another positional coach to the Wolverines

Several Utah Utes assistant coaches are expected to join Kyle Whittingham and the Michigan Wolverines for the 2026 season. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Utah offensive line coach Jim Harding is expected to join Kyle Whittingham's Michigan coaching staff, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.

Harding's impending move continues the mass exodus of assistants leaving Salt Lake City to join the former Utes head coach in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck, along with tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham, quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. and wide receivers coach Micah Simon, are also set to follow Whittingham to be part of his first coaching staff with the Wolverines.

Less than 24 hours removed from his first win as the Utah head coach, Morgan Scalley's offensive staff is down to Mark Atuaia (running backs coach) and Isaac Asiata (assistant O-line coach). Time will tell if either wind up taking opportunities elsewhere; Asiata has been linked to Weber State, according to reports.

Considered as one of the top O-line coaches in the country, Harding spent the past dozen years establishing Utah as a premier destination for offensive lineman recruits seeking to take the next step in their development.

Under Harding, the Utes had 11 offensive lineman earn all-conference honors and six NFL draft selections. His profile will look even better once Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fano get picked in the 2026 NFL Draft, as both standout tackles are projected as first round talents.

Lomu and Fano helped pave the way for the most potent rushing attack in program history, clearing the way for a school-record 3,462 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns. Utah averaged 266.3 rush yards per game (No. 2 in the Football Bowl Subdivision) and 6 yards per carry (No. 1).

Ironically, Harding's final go around was one of the rare seasons in which the Utes didn't have a 1,000-yard rusher. Utah had a player cross that threshold in eight of the previous 11 seasons, but the wealth was distributed among a handful of capable runners in 2025, including three players who averaged better than 5.5 yards per carry on 60 or more rush attempts. Wayshawn Parker led that group in total yards with 981 on 6.6 per carry, while Utah's quarterback tandem of Devon Dampier (835 on 5.7 per attempt) and Byrd Ficklin (513 on 8.4 per attempt) proved to be highly effective on the ground as well.

Harding, who previously spent time at Wyoming (2009-13) and Missouri (2002-04), has ties to the state of Michigan through his experiences at the high school level in Troy, Michigan, where he was the Troy High School head coach and defensive coordinator in 2008. Also, his wife, Meredith, is a native of Troy.

Harding attended Maumee High School in northwest Ohio and was a four-year starting offensive tackle at Toledo from 1997-2000. Harding set a school record with 46 consecutive starts during his time with the Rockets, highlighted by first-team all-Mid-American Conference honors as a senior in 2000.