ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan has agreed to a five-year contract with Kyle Whittingham to replace fired and disgraced football coach Sherrone Moore, according to two people familiar with the situation.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the move had not been announced.
Whittingham announced two weeks ago that he would step down after 21 seasons as Utah’s coach. Morgan Scalley was promoted from defensive coordinator to replace Whittingham, who has won a school-record 177 games.
The 15th-ranked Utes will play Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl on Wednesday.
Moore was fired Dec. 10, when the school said an investigation uncovered his inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Two days later, Moore was charged with three crimes after prosecutors said he “barged his way” into the apartment of a woman he’d been having an affair with and threatened to kill himself.
Michigan was hoping to hire a coach this month, helping its chances of retaining recruits and keeping key players, including quarterback Bryce Underwood, out of the transfer portal.
Whittingham has been Utah’s coach since December 2004 and a member of the Utes staff since 1994. He has a 177-88 (.668) record over 21 seasons. Utah finished with 18 winning seasons under Whittingham and won at least 10 games eight times.
Whittingham twice helped Utah navigate conference changes. The Utes moved from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 in 2011 and then departed the Pac-12 for the Big 12 in 2024.
Utah found success following both moves. Whittingham led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 championships and Rose Bowl appearances in 2021 and 2022. Then, after a 5-7 campaign in its first Big 12 season, Utah went 10-2 this season and finished in a tie for third place in the conference.
Utah capped an undefeated season in 2008 with a win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
Whittingham won three national coach of the year awards, including the AFCA and Bear Bryant awards in 2008 and the Dodd Trophy in 2019.
Whittingham was a linebacker at BYU under LaVell Edwards from 1978 to 1981.