Scandal-rocked Michigan to hire Kyle Whittingham as next football coach | College football

Michigan has reached an agreement with Kyle Whittingham to become the school’s next head football coach, according to an ESPN report, turning to one of the most experienced figures in sports to keep a program strangled by scandal together.

Whittingham, 66, agreed to a five-year deal that is expected to be officially announced later Friday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel reported. The move comes weeks after Whittingham resigned from his longtime position at Utah, where he spent 21 seasons as head coach and became the most successful figure in program history.

At Utah, Whittingham compiled a record of 177-88 and led the Utes to consistent national relevance, including an undefeated 13-0 campaign in 2008. His 66.8% overall winning percentage and longevity with one program have long positioned him as a future inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame.

When Whittingham announced his departure from Utah earlier this month, he made it clear he was not retiring from coaching, publicly joking that he was entering “the transfer portal.” The phrasing of his departure – described as a resignation rather than a retirement – ​​immediately fueled speculation that another high-profile opportunity could be imminent.

The Michigan vacancy arose under very different circumstances. Their search for a new head coach was sparked by the abrupt firing of Sherrone Moore, who was fired earlier this month after the university said an internal investigation found “credible evidence” of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

Hours after his firing, Moore was arrested by police in Pittsfield Township, near Ann Arbor, and later charged with three felonies, including home invasion and stalking a person he had previously dated. Washtenaw County prosecutors said Moore “entered illegally[ed] the home of a victim with whom Mr. Moore was in a romantic relationship” and accused him of “terrorizing” the woman following the loss of her job.

Moore, 39, spent two nights in jail following his arrest. His lawyer, Joe Simon, said there was “no evidence to suggest he poses a threat.” Michigan has not publicly disclosed details of the alleged relationship, although athletic director Warde Manuel said Moore’s conduct was “a blatant violation of university policy.”

Moore, who is married with three young daughters, signed a five-year contract last year with a base salary of $5.5 million. Under the terms of the agreement, Michigan will not owe a buyout because he was terminated for cause.