College football program unexpectedly to be without head coach for bowl game

The college football coaching carousel is causing some dysfunction in the final days of December, especially after one program arrived late to the party.

Earlier this month, Michigan came out of nowhere with the news of the offseason, firing head coach Sherrone Moore for cause. The Wolverines moved on from Moore due to an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer.

That left one of the most prestigious programs in the country without a head coach shortly after the Early Signing Period concluded. Michigan has been on a coaching search since then, but the pool has thinned, with most candidates hired by other schools.

The Wolverines have finally found their man, and the move came at the expense of a team set to play in a bowl game in less than a week.

Kyle Whittingham Won't Coach Utah In Bowl Game

Michigan officially announced the hiring of Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham on Friday evening. According to ESPN, Whittingham signed a five-year deal averaging $8.2 million per season, including $8 million next year.

Whittingham coached the Utes for the last 21 years. He was promoted to head coach ahead of the Fiesta Bowl in 2004, replacing Urban Meyer, who was hired away by the Florida Gators. Whittingham led the program to a 177-88 overall record and 11 postseason victories.

Along with accumulating the most wins in program history, he's won numerous Coach of the Year honors and guided Utah through three different conferences. In 2025, the Utes compiled a 10-2 record and qualified for the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl.

Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Whittingham's swift departure means he won't have the opportunity to coach in Utah's final game of the season. Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, the longtime head coach is headed to Orlando to begin his duties with the Wolverines. Michigan takes on Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on December 31.

That's the same day Utah is scheduled to kick off against Nebraska in Las Vegas. Whittingham has already notified his players of the decision.

In a statement, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan declared that defensive coordinator and safeties coach Morgan Scalley would assume the role of head coach. Scalley was named the program's head-coach-in-waiting leading up to the 2024 season.

Scalley was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2019, which goes to the top assistant in college football. He's guided multiple top defenses at Utah and has been with the program in various positions since 2007.

Kyle Whittingham Won't Coach Utah In Bowl Game

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