Michigan football won’t have to wait much longer for its new coach. Kyle Whittingham will be joining the Wolverines ahead of U-M’s Citrus Bowl date
Michigan football won’t have to wait too much longer for its new coach.
Kyle Whittingham will join the Wolverines in Orlando, Florida, ahead of U-M’s Citrus Bowl date with Texas on Wednesday, Dec. 31 (3 p.m., ABC), the Michigan and Utah programs announced on Friday night.
Whittingham, who stepped down at Utah earlier this month and was signed to a five-year contract by Michigan on Friday, was originally set to coach the Utes in their Las Vegas Bowl game against Nebraska on Wednesday, with kickoff set for approximately 30 minutes after the Wolverines’ game at Camping World Stadium.
Instead, Whittingham will turn the reins over to Morgan Scalley — the defensive coordinator promoted as his replacement soon after Whittingham’s resignation, as well as the Utes’ longtime coach-in-waiting — and join the Wolverines immediately.
“After discussions with Coach Whittingham, his representatives and the University of Michigan, we have granted their request to allow him to join the Michigan program immediately.”
Michigan officially announced the hiring of Whittingham late on Friday night — starting the clock on current Wolverines’ time to enter the transfer portal, ahead of the general NCAA transfer-portal window that runs from Jan. 2-16 — but did not state what his role with the Wolverines in Orlando would be.
The Wolverines have been coached for the past week by assistant Biff Poggi, a candidate for the full-time job who posted an endorsement of Whittingham after news broke of the hire on Friday night: "Michigan Football is in GREAT hands under Kyle Whittingham. ... " Poggi wrote in a post on X. "Proven winner, true gentleman, tough nosed Michigan coach of days gone by. Great hire by Warde Manuel. The kids will love him. Exciting days ahead for Michigan."
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: When will Kyle Whittingham join Michigan football for Citrus Bowl?
Category: General Sports
