Will Kyle Whittingham coach Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl?

Long-time Utes head coach is in line to fill Michigan vacancy

Long-time Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham is expected to be the next head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

During his first media availability session since it was announced he'd be stepping down as the Utah head coach, Kyle Whittingham expressed his reasoning for wanting to be on the sidelines for the Utes' Las Vegas Bowl matchup against Nebraska.

"This has been one of my favorite years," Whittingham said. "And having the chance to be around these guys one more month and go to battle one more time with them was something I wanted to do."

Turns out, those plans are likely to change.

As reports surfaced Friday that Whittingham was set to become the next head coach of Michigan, there was an expectation that the 66-year-old would join the Wolverines for their Citrus Bowl matchup against Texas, meaning he wouldn't be with the Utes in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve. College football insider Ross Dellenger reported Whittingham was expected to be in Orlando with Michigan instead, giving him an opportunity to familiarize himself with a roster that's been in flux ever since Sherrone Moore was fired earlier in December.

Michigan had yet to formally introduce Whittingham as the program's 22nd head coach when Dellenger's report surfaced. Though, given the current state of Utah and Michigan, respectively, it'd make sense for him to get a jump on the next chapter of his coaching career.

The Wolverines' roster outlook has been in limbo throughout their coaching search, with uncertainty surrounding quarterback Bryce Underwood's future in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The former five-star and top overall recruit in the 2025 class played in all 12 regular-season games for the Wolverines after flipping his commitment from LSU to Michigan last November, guiding Michigan to a 9-3 record while throwing for 2,229 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions.

If Underwood were to transfer, Michigan would be in the market for a new starting quarterback. It would be an expedited search, though, if Whittingham courts Utah's offensive coordinator Jason Beck to Michigan and brings Utah quarterback Devon Dampier with him.

Dampier has made his satisfaction with the Utes and his confidence in Morgan Scalley's ability to lead Utah moving forward clear over the past few weeks. His trust in Beck is also apparent, though; Dampier's decision to follow him from New Mexico to Utah last offseason proved as much.

Michigan's 2026 recruiting class will inevitably be impacted by the coaching change as well. In fact, four-star wide receiver prospect Brady Marchese requested to be released from his signing with Michigan amid the reports of Whittingham's impending hire, becoming the third Michigan signee to back off from their letter of intent since Moore was fired.

With so many variables at play, it would behoove Michigan to establish some sort of stability in its ranks and bring Whittingham in as soon as possible.

Utah's situation was a bit different. Scalley, the Utes' long-time defensive coordinator, was named the program's next head coach when Whittingham's decision to step down was announced, creating a seamless transition between coaching regimes. Whittingham's move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, will likely have an impact on Utah's coaching staff, though it would still make sense for the Utes to give Scalley an opportunity to lead the team as its head coach for the Las Vegas Bowl if they wanted to give players who might want to stick around for 2026 a chance at experiencing Scalley's game day mechanics, preparation and philosophies.