Former Utah Utes head football coach Kyle Whittingham has reportedly agreed to a five-year deal to become the next head coach at the University of Michigan, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel on Friday (December 26).
"Update: Kyle Whittingham has agreed to a five-year deal to become Michigan’s next head coach, sources tell me and @DanWetzel. The deal is expected to be announced later today," Thamel wrote on his X account.
Thamel and Wetzel had previously reported that Whittingham "emerged as the focus" of Michigan's search earlier in the day.
Whittingham has gone 177-88 during 21 seasons in Utah, which includes an undefeated 13-0 regular season finish in 2008.
Whittingham announced his decision to step down from his position at Utah earlier this month with the Utes set to play in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on New Year's Eve, though he made it clear he wasn't retiring, joking that he, instead, was entering "the transfer portal." Michigan fired former head coach Sherrone Moore on December 10 after "credible evidence" showed he had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member hours before he was arrested for an incident at the staff member's apartment that same day and later charged with third-degree felony for home invasion and two misdemeanors.
Moore, 39, went 16-8 during his tenure as Michigan's head coach, which included a non-conference win against Bowling Green, as well as three wins against Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State credited to former head coach Jim Harbaugh during the 2023 national championship season when Moore served as acting head coach in Harbaugh's absence due to a suspension.
The former guard replaced Harbaugh when the latter accepted the head coaching position with the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 and went 8-5 (5-4 Big Ten) during his first season and 7-3 (6-2 Big Ten) in 2025. Biff Poggi, 65, who had previously served as an interim when Moore served a self-imposed two-game suspension during the 2025 regular season, was named Michigan interim coach ahead of the team's Cheez-It Citrus Bowl game against the Texas Longhorns.