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Kyle Whittingham is the next head coach of the Michigan Wolverines football program with a deal announced weeks after the university fired Sherrone Moore for what officials described as an “inappropriate relationship” with a staff member. Moore was later arrested.
Whittingham and Michigan have agreed to a five-year contract, ESPN reported Friday.
He will replace Biff Poggi, who was named interim head coach following Moore’s firing. Poggi made his case to return to the job last week.
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Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham watches the team warm up before a game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Rice-Eccles Stadium on September 20, 2025. (Rob Gray/Imagn Images)
Whittingham will be the fifth head coach since Lloyd Carr retired after the 2007 season.
Whittingham announced earlier this year that he would step down as head coach of the Utah Utes after 20 seasons. He expressed interest in continuing his coaching career and quickly became one of the few coaches likely to succeed Moore.
Whittingham, 66, served under Ron McBride and Urban Meyer in Utah. He had been with the program since 1994, when he started as defensive line coach. Michigan will be the second stop for him as head coach. He is 177-88 all-time.
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Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium on November 22, 2025, in College Park, Maryland. (Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Michigan is considered one of the top football jobs in the country despite the scandals that have engulfed the school in recent years. One of the biggest involved a sign-stealing scandal that led to the suspension of Jim Harbaugh. Moore also served a suspension amid an NCAA investigation.
Through it all, Michigan won the national championship behind JJ McCarthy in 2023. The Wolverines were 15-0 this season, going undefeated for the first time since 1997 under Carr. The Wolverines also won the national championship that year.
Whittingham will be called upon to right the ship which has been rocking for several weeks.
Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham, right, discusses a call with field judge Matt Mills during the second half of a game at LaVell Edwards Stadium on October 18, 2025. (Rob Gray/Imagn Images)
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The Wolverines will play in the Citrus Bowl on December 31 against the Texas Longhorns.
