Kyle Whittingham was hired as Michigan’s football coach, replacing the fired and disgraced Sherrone Moore – Baltimore Sun

By LARRY LAGE

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan hired Kyle Whittingham as its football coach Friday night, giving the longtime Utah coach a five-year contract to replace the fired and disgraced Sherrone Moore.

“Kyle Whittingham is a highly respected and highly successful head coach who is widely recognized as a leader of extraordinary character and principled leadership,” athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. “Throughout our search, he consistently demonstrated the qualities we value at Michigan: vision, resilience and the ability to build and sustain a championship-caliber team.”

The 66-year-old Whittingham announced two weeks ago that he would step down after 21 seasons at Utah. Morgan Scalley was promoted from defensive coordinator to replace Whittingham, who has won a school-record 177 games.

Whittingham didn’t consider his departure from Utah a retirement, and he wasn’t out of work for long.

“Michigan is synonymous with tradition and excellence – both on the field and off it – and our entire program is committed to upholding those values ​​while striving for shared success,” Whittingham said in a statement.

The 15th-ranked Utes will play Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31 — now with Scalley as their coach.

“After discussions with coach Whittingham, his representatives and the University of Michigan, we have granted their request to allow him to immediately join the Michigan program,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said.

Moore was fired on Dec. 10, when the school said an investigation revealed his inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Two days later, Moore was charged with three felonies after prosecutors said he “barged” into the apartment of a woman he was having an affair with and threatened to kill himself.

Michigan hopes 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 completed 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 left the Pac-12 for the Big 12 in 2024.

Utah found success after 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 his first Big 12 season, Utah went 10-2 this season and finished tied for third place in the league.

Utah capped off its 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 Cup in 2019.

Whittingham was a quarterback at BYU under LaVell Edwards from 1978 to 1981.

“Utah will always have a special place in my heart,” Whittingham said in a statement released by the Utes, “and I wish Coach Scalley and his program a smooth transition and continued success in the future.”

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