{"id":473883,"date":"2025-12-27T00:31:05","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T00:31:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/473883\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T00:31:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T00:31:05","slug":"is-utah-football-coach-kyle-whittingham-retiring-michigan-rumors-are-heating-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/473883\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham retiring? Michigan rumors are heating up."},"content":{"rendered":"

Melissa Whittingham Kent wrestled with her emotions as she walked out of Rice-Eccles Stadium on the night of Nov. 22, her children dressed in red and black and waddling beside her.<\/p>\n

She knew it might be the last game her father, Kyle Whittingham, ever coached inside the stadium that she had grown up in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was about to burst into tears,\u201d Melissa said.<\/p>\n

But she felt she had to leave early.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a very superstitious family,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Utes were down by 12 points to Kansas State<\/a> as the clock ticked down in the fourth quarter. Maybe a change of scenery would make a difference, Melissa thought. So she and her sister, Kylie, walked with the children to Guardsman Way and inside the Utes\u2019 football facility.<\/p>\n

As soon as they turned the game on a television in their father\u2019s office, Utah safety Tao Johnson intercepted a pass and bolted 99 yards, flipping the momentum of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was obviously good luck that we were in there, so I had to stay in there to watch the game,\u201d Melissa said.<\/p>\n

The Utes went on to win that game, as they have 176 other times under Kyle Whittingham. His children and grandchildren cheered him on from inside an office filled with photographs and memories, a place that has become a second home for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy kids think that they can run into the football facility and own the place,\u201d Melissa said.<\/p>\n

Over the last 21 years, the Whittingham name has been synonymous with Utah football. It has been woven into their family identity. It might seem as if it is in their blood.<\/p>\n

(Brady Whittingham) Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham, third from the right on the front row, sits with his family on July 27, 2018.<\/p>\n

But as Whittingham prepares to step down as the school\u2019s head coach, it is now expected that the ultimate Utah man is wearing a different school\u2019s colors next fall.<\/p>\n

On Friday, ESPN reported that the Michigan Wolverines and 66-year-old Whittingham<\/a> had agreed to a five-year deal to make him the school\u2019s next football coach.<\/p>\n

The power of staying<\/p>\n

Urban Meyer<\/a> had already decided to leave the University of Utah for the Florida Gators when he made his last, and perhaps most important, recruiting visit for the Utes.<\/p>\n

He brought Utah players Steve Fifita, Morgan Scalley<\/a>, Spencer Toone, Dave Revill and others to help make the pitch.<\/p>\n

Their goal: to keep Kyle Whittingham from taking the head coaching job at BYU, his alma mater and the Utes\u2019 most hated rival.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recruited him for a couple hours,\u201d Meyer told The Salt Lake Tribune of that day.<\/p>\n

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham watches as Urban Meyer speaks at a news conference before the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.<\/p>\n

Sitting in his living room, Whittingham pointed at each player one by one, asking them why he should stay, as they sat in a circle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember it being this intense, very intimate time,\u201d Fifita said. \u201cI didn\u2019t say anything until he asked me, \u2018What do you think?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, \u2018Hey, I love you, coach. I want you to stay.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Days later, Meyer was pacing in his Florida hotel room when Whittingham phoned to share the news of his decision<\/p>\n

\u201cI teared up, and I was like \u2018thank god.\u2019 Meyer said. \u201cMy dream was to see Utah become what it became. It\u2019s because of Kyle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whittingham\u2019s decision to stay put \u2014 while hundreds of coaching jobs turned over across the country \u2014 changed the Utes forever. He guided Utah to three championships in the Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences, put dozens of players in the NFL and won three national coach of the year awards along the way.<\/p>\n

Now, at age 66, Whittingham has opted to leave the Utes and make his biggest coaching decision since he decided to succeed Meyer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf my phone rings, I will answer it,\u201d the coach said earlier this month. \u201cIf I like who\u2019s calling, we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n

And few jobs in college football are bigger than Michigan\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u2018Family into work and work into family\u2019<\/p>\n

In his early years on the job, Whittingham\u2019s four children<\/a> would run around the old Ute practice facility, causing youthful mayhem, while he commanded his team from the sideline.<\/p>\n

During the holidays, the Whittingham kids spent Christmas in fancy hotel rooms, unwrapping presents before bowl games.<\/p>\n

On Thursdays, the team would cater meals and the Whittingham children would eat with the players, coaches and, of course, their father.<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved being around the facility, going and seeing him at work as an elementary school kid,\u201d former Ute Alex Whittingham said. \u201cThe players that were always fun to be around and hang out with in the locker room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex followed his father into coaching and is now an assistant defensive line coach with the Kansas City Chiefs.<\/p>\n

(Whittingham family) Former Utah player Alex Whittingham at Arrowhead Stadium with his mother, Jamie, before a Kansas City Chiefs game in 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt kind of led me to where I am out here today,\u201d Alex said. \u201cI saw what his life was like. I wanted that for myself. I wanted that for my kids and my family to have these kinds of similar experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Melissa\u2019s 8-year-old son, Jude, might one day follow a similar path. One time, she needed a babysitter, so she dropped Jude off at Utah\u2019s practice field. The legendary coach watched over his grandson and practice at the same time. Like his grandfather, he became a coach on the sideline.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was engrossed in the whole practice,\u201d Melissa said. \u201cI thought he\u2019d be goofing off on the side or running around doing something else. He would be on the sidelines next to my dad coaching every game if he could.\u201d<\/p>\n

Football and family have become one.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is partly why I have such fond memories of growing up with him as a coach, because the effort was still there to be involved in our lives,\u201d Alex said. \u201cI think he\u2019s done as good a job as there is at bringing family into work and work into family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCousins, aunts, uncles and siblings, we\u2019ve all gone to the Utah games for 20-plus years,\u201d Melissa said. \u201cWe see each other every week during football season. It\u2019s always been a family affair.\u201d<\/p>\n

That has given Whittingham comfort, especially during difficult seasons like the one the Utes endured in 2024.<\/p>\n

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Whittingham stands with his family after a game in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe does kind of agonize over those small failures they may have throughout the year,\u201d Alex said. \u201cAnd mom [Jamie Whittingham] has really just wanted to help him let it go.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a factor Whittingham\u2019s children believed could have pushed him toward retirement.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when you\u2019ve got coaching in your blood,\u201d he said, \u201cit doesn\u2019t just go away.\u201d<\/p>\n

A model of consistency<\/p>\n

If Eric Weddle closes his eyes, he can still picture his head coach repeating his same morning routine.<\/p>\n

In Whittingham\u2019s office is an elliptical that he works out on every morning, as he overlooks the Salt Lake skyline, Rice-Eccles Stadium and the Wasatch Front.<\/p>\n

The Ute coach will work out while completing his New York Times crossword puzzle every morning, Weddle said. He\u2019ll then make his way to the weight room for a lift.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor decades, he\u2019s been doing that,\u201d Weddle said. \u201cYou get to a certain point of your life where routines become who you are, and that\u2019s who he is.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just got those weird, quirky routines.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham embraces defensive back Eric Weddle on senior day in 2006.<\/p>\n

Whittingham is, indeed, a creature of habit.<\/p>\n

Former Utah defensive coordinator Gary Andersen would race Whittingham in their weekly jog around the U.\u2019s campus. Somehow, Andersen said, the final 30 seconds always turned into a sprint to the finish line.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day, we\u2019d have that 12 o\u2019clock workout,\u201d Andersen said. \u201cWe\u2019d have one day on the treadmill, one day on the stair stepper, and then go out for that jog around one day around campus.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe consistency that we had helped the players. I think that helped the program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whittingham\u2019s personal consistency extended to how he ran the Ute program.<\/p>\n

Former Utah offensive lineman Zane Beadles, who went on to play nine seasons in the NFL and was the Utah head coach\u2019s first commit, remembers how Whittingham made the freshman sit in the back of film meetings, while the upperclassmen were placed in the front.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guys down in the front earned more,\u201d Beadles said. \u201cIf you\u2019re in the back, you want to become one of these guys in the front. There\u2019s a path to it, but you\u2019re the one that has to put in the work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"(Rick<\/p>\n

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham on the sidelines early in his coaching career.<\/p>\n

\"(Rick<\/p>\n

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham coaches alongside his father, Fred, during a game against Washington State in 1999.<\/p>\n

\"(Rick<\/p>\n

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham talks to his defensive players on the sidelines of the Utah – Washington State football game in 1999.<\/p>\n

\"(Rick<\/p>\n

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham coaches then-safety Morgan Scalley during a game against BYU in Provo in 2003.<\/p>\n

\"(Rick<\/p>\n

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham answers questions on the radio as his 6-year-old daughter Kylie watches after Whittingham was announced as the next head football coach in December 2004.<\/p>\n

\"(Trent<\/p>\n

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Urban Meyer, left, and Kyle Whittingham speak at a press conference before the Fiesta Bowl in 2004.<\/p>\n

\"(Rick<\/p>\n

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham speaks to the crowd after the Utes won the Fiesta Bowl against Pittsburgh in Tempe, Ariz., Jan. 1, 2005.<\/p>\n

\"(Trent<\/p>\n

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham embraces defensive back Eric Weddle on senior day in 2006.<\/p>\n

\"(Scott<\/p>\n

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham gives Utah cornerback Lamar Chapman an earful during a game in 2009. <\/p>\n

\"(Scott<\/p>\n

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham watches his team as the Utes face Alabama during the 4th quarter in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Friday, Jan. 2, 2009.<\/p>\n

\"(Scott<\/p>\n

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham and quarterback Brian Johnson hold the Sugar Bowl trophy aloft after the Utes defeated Alabama in in New Orleans, Jan. 2, 2009.<\/p>\n

\"(Leah<\/p>\n

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham is covered in confetti at a parade after the Utes’ 2008 perfect season, Jan. 16, 2009.<\/p>\n

\"(Chris<\/p>\n

(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall and Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham meet at the center of the field before the start of a game at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009.<\/p>\n

\"(Chris<\/p>\n

(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham argues a call during the first half of a game against TCU, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010.<\/p>\n

\"(Chris<\/p>\n

(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham after rides his bike after a fall practice in 2011.<\/p>\n

\"(Scott<\/p>\n

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham gets congratulated by his wife, Jamie, after Utah defeated BYU, Sept. 15, 2012.<\/p>\n

\"(Scott<\/p>\n

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham follows through on a golf shot as the team held a golf competition after a football practice in 2014. <\/p>\n

\"(Chris<\/p>\n

(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah players dump a cooler of water on Kyle Whittingham after winning the Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 20, 2014.<\/p>\n

\"(Rick<\/p>\n

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham high-fives fans after his 100th win as Utah’s head coach in 2016.<\/p>\n

\"(Scott<\/p>\n

(Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kyle Whittingham shows off his “U” jacket lining while making a visit at the Utah House of Representatives, Thursday, March 3, 2016.<\/p>\n

\"(Trent<\/p>\n

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham prepares to take the field as BYU hosts Utah, Sept. 9, 2017.<\/p>\n

\"(Francisco<\/p>\n

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah coach Kyle Whittingham becomes emotional as he watches a tribute on the big screen to his former running back Ty Jordan during Utah\u2019s game against the Weber State Wildcats in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021.<\/p>\n

\"(Leah<\/p>\n

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) The University of Utah football team head coach Kyle Whittingham mourns the loss of student-athlete Aaron Lowe during a candlelight vigil at the A Ray Olpin Student Union southwest lawn, Sept. 29, 2021.<\/p>\n

\"(Leah<\/p>\n

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham celebrates the win. The Utes defeated the Oregon Ducks to win the 2021 Pac12 Football Championship title at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Dec 3, 2021. <\/p>\n

\"(Leah<\/p>\n

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham celebrates the win. The Utes defeated the Oregon Ducks to win the 2021 Pac12 Football Championship title at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Dec 3, 2021. <\/p>\n

\"(Rick<\/p>\n

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham and Utah football players salute Aaron Lowe and Ty Jordan during a break in the action, between Utah Utes and Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022.<\/p>\n

\"(Chris<\/p>\n

(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham makes an appearance on ESPN\u2019s College GameDay college football show on the university campus in Salt Lake City, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.<\/p>\n

\"(Rick<\/p>\n

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) University of Utah Head Football Coach Kyle Whittingham rides into the stadium for the announcement of the the Billy Joel & Sting concert coming to Rice-Eccles Stadium in May, during a news conference on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. <\/p>\n

\"(Trent<\/p>\n

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham as BYU hosts Utah, NCAA football at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.<\/p>\n

\"(Charlie<\/p>\n

(Charlie Riedel | AP) Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham watches during the first half of his team’s game against Kansas on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Lawrence, Kan.<\/p>\n