SALT LAKE CITY — Kyle Whittingham will be named the next head coach of the University of Michigan football team, sources confirmed to the Scripps News Group in Salt Lake City.
Weeks after he announced he'll step down as University of Utah's head football coach following the upcoming bowl game, Whittingham has already lined up a new job.
ESPN was first to report Michigan targeting Whittingham, 66, to lead its program after firing Sherrone Moore due to an alleged relationship with a member of the school's staff.
While announcing his move to leave the Utes on Dec. 12 after 21 years as head coach, Whittingham never said that he was retiring, leading many to believe he would eventually return to the sidelines.
With his next stop confirmed, Whittingham has likely begun making calls to put together a new coaching staff at Michigan, with those who currently work for him at Utah figuring to be on his wish list, including offensive coordinator Jason Beck.
Since firing Moore, Michigan had remained relatively quiet about its search for a new head coach, although rumors connected several people to the coveted job.
Utah is set to face Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl on Wednesday in what will be Whittingham's final game as the Utes head coach. Defensive Coordinator Morgan Scalley has already been named as Whittingham's successor.
Whittingham played for BYU, and apart from a few seasons at Idaho State, has never coached outside the state of Utah.