Did Utah FORCE Kyle Whittingham to Depart Right Into Michigan’s Lap?
By: Kicks
Kyle Whittingham had been the head coach of the Utah Utes for 21 years, holding a total record of 177-88 while achieving three conference titles (two within the last 5 years), two national coach of the year awards, two Pac-12 coach of the year awards, and two Rose Bowl Appearances. Sounds like a guy you’d want to keep around right? Well Utah’s administration had other plans, and recent documents released have only made the situation worse for the Utes.
How We Got Here
As part of a public record request, documents were released including emails, contract amendments, and a letter between Whittingham and Utah’s athletic director Mark Harlan. And man-oh-man did that blow up in the Utes face. These documents were released by Utah administration to show transparency with their fans, but it highlighted the fact that Whittingham wanted to stay in Utah contingent on a raise for him and his staff along with a higher NIL budget of $20M, and Utah pretty much told him to go pound sand.
Everyone already knew that Utah leadership was ready for Whit to just name his successor and ride of into the sunset, but the only problem with that was he still wanted to keep coaching and did not intend to retire. What looked to be a smooth retirement hit a 180 degree turn and formed into tense negotiations. Thus ensued the need for a separation agreement, which was a clause that agreed for Utah to pay Whittingham a “transition bonus” of $13.5M in three installments and prohibited him from coaching another school in the state of Utah. Essentially all they did was try and ease the blow of the administration essentially forcing him out.
Sure thing on December 26th, Michigan named Whittingham as their head coach giving him a five-year contract on an $8.2M salary, and then things got messy in Salt Lake City. Whittingham brought over seven coaches, five players, and a four-star signee with him on his way to Ann Arbor. This of course threw Utah fans and administration up in arms, but what did they really expect? You forced out your programs winningest coach when he made it clear he wanted to continue coaching, and instead you’re reaping the benefits of the University’s poor decision.
Now remember that letter between Whittingham and Utah AD Mark Harlan I mentioned? That stemmed in January regarding the transition bonus after Whittingham had signed with the Wolverines. Harlan wrote to Whittingham that Utah was “disappointed by your actions last month”, speaking on him accepting the head coaching gig with Michigan. Harlan also noted, “The university felt that your involvement with recruiting our football coaches and staff to Michigan was contrary to the terms of your employment agreement,” regarding the poached staff and players. NowUtah still sent Whittingham the first bonus installment of $8M, but they still found a way to make the situation even messier as they did it.
The Perfect Storm
Halfway across the country in the Big Ten, Michigan went through the turmoil of the Sherrone Moore scandal. The Wolverines ended up firing the former head coach for an inapropriate relationship with a staffer. Now what ties Whittingham into all of this is Michigan had to move on late in the hiring cycle pretty much after all the big fish had been caught, making Whittingham seem like a no brainer. Rumors of Kenny Dillingham leaving ASU and giving Lane Kiffin a blank check phased out, and all of the sudden Michigan was in talks with a coach who’s a proven winner, has an established culture, and did it all with less resources than what the Wolverines can provide. I mean had Utah just given Whittingham those little bits of extra resources like he asked, who the hell knows who Michigan has to stoop down and get.
One party forced out of their job by an administration looking for youth at the head coaching spot, one party looking for a band-aid at the head coaching spot, it doesn’t get more perfect than that. Not only did Michigan get a band-aid, they received a full blown medical kit. Many people thought Michigan was going to have to make a panic hire and bring out the brinks truck to give someone a ten-year deal, instead Whit fell perfectly into their lap. Finding stability at the head coaching spot in todays age of NIL is more pivotal than ever for recruiting high schoolers and transfers, and that’s exactly what Michigan found on the fly. The five-year deal is the perfect bridge to stay competitive while five-star Bryce Underwood is still at the helm, and also allows for Whittingham to set a successor once his culture is fully established.
With the release of these documents from behind the scenes, Michigan fans have nobody to thank more than Mark Harlan and the rest of Utah’s athletic administration. Shoutout to them for absolutely botching negotiations with the man who put Utah football on the map in the first place. Should be very interesting to revisit how these two programs look come October.