ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan employed Kyle Whittingham as its soccer coach on Friday evening, giving the previous Utah coach a five-year contract to interchange the fired and disgraced Sherrone Moore.
“Kyle Whittingham is a well-respected and extremely profitable head coach who’s widely known as a pacesetter of outstanding character and principled management,” athletic director Warde Manuel in a press release. “All through our search, he persistently demonstrated the qualities we worth at Michigan: imaginative and prescient, resilience, and the flexibility to construct and maintain championship-caliber groups.”
The 66-year-old Whittingham introduced two weeks in the past that he would step down after 21 seasons as Utah’s coach. Morgan Scalley was promoted from defensive coordinator to interchange Whittingham, who has gained a school-record 177 video games.
Whittingham didn’t characterize his departure from Utah as a retirement, and he wasn’t out of labor for lengthy.
“Michigan is synonymous with custom and excellence — each on the sphere and past — and our complete program is dedicated to upholding these values whereas striving for greatness collectively,” Whittingham mentioned in a press release.
The Fifteenth-ranked Utes will play Nebraska within the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31 — now with Scalley as their coach.
“After discussions with coach Whittingham, his representatives and the College of Michigan, now we have granted their request to permit him to hitch the Michigan program instantly,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan mentioned.
Moore was fired on Dec. 10, when the varsity mentioned an investigation uncovered his inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Two days later, Moore was charged with three crimes after prosecutors mentioned he “barged his means” into the condominium of a lady he’d been having an affair with and threatened to kill himself.
Michigan hoped to rent a coach this month, serving to its probabilities of retaining recruits and preserving key gamers, together with quarterback Bryce Underwood, out of the switch portal.
Aaron J. Thornton by way of Getty Photos
Whittingham had been Utah’s coach since December 2004 and a member of the Utes’ workers since 1994. He has a 177-88 (.668) report over 21 seasons. Utah completed with 18 successful seasons below Whittingham and gained a minimum of 10 video games eight instances.
Whittingham twice helped Utah navigate convention adjustments. The Utes moved from the Mountain West Convention to the Pac-12 Convention in 2011 after which departed the Pac-12 for the Large 12 Convention in 2024.
Utah discovered success following each strikes. Whittingham led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 championships and Rose Bowl appearances in 2021 and 2022. Then, after a 5-7 marketing campaign in its first Large 12 season, Utah went 10-2 this season and completed in a tie for third place within the league.
Utah capped an undefeated season in 2008 with a win over Alabama within the Sugar Bowl.
Whittingham gained three nationwide coach of the 12 months awards, together with the AFCA and Bear Bryant awards in 2008 and the Dodd Trophy in 2019.
Whittingham was a linebacker at BYU below LaVell Edwards from 1978 to 1981.
“Utah will all the time maintain a particular place in my coronary heart,” Whittingham mentioned in a press release launched by the Utes, “and I want coach Scalley and this system a easy transition and continued success transferring ahead.”
