ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan hired Kyle Whittingham as its football coach on Friday night, giving the former Utah coach a five-year contract to replace the fired and disgraced Sherrone Moore.
“Kyle Whittingham is a well-respected and highly successful head coach who is widely recognized as a leader of exceptional character and principled leadership,” athletic director Warde Manuel in a statement. “Throughout our search, he consistently demonstrated the qualities we value at Michigan: vision, resilience, and the ability to build and sustain championship-caliber teams.”
The 66-year-old 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.
Whittingham did not characterize his departure from Utah as a retirement, and he wasn’t out of work for long.
“Michigan is synonymous with tradition and excellence — both on the field and beyond — and our entire program is committed to upholding those values while striving for greatness together,” Whittingham said in a statement.
