Kyle Whittingham. Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Interesting detail emerges about Kyle Whittingham's Michigan contract

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Dec 26, 2025 4:58 PM ET

The Michigan Wolverines have their new head coach in Kyle Whittingham, and they appear to be making a major commitment to their new man.

Whittingham has officially agreed to a contract to become Michigan’s head coach, according to multiple reports. Notably, the Wolverines are signing Whittingham, 66, to a five-year deal.

A five-year pact means Whittingham will be 71 when it ends, assuming he sees out the entire contract. If the Wolverines are viewing him as a bridge coach meant to settle things for a couple of years before he moves on, they certainly are not treating him like one.

Michigan also gave previous head coach Sherrone Moore a five-year deal when formalizing his hire in 2024.

Update: Kyle Whittingham has agreed to a five-year deal to become Michigan’s next head coach, sources tell me and @DanWetzel. The deal is expected to be announced later today. https://t.co/wFb7a8PRRU
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 26, 2025

Whittingham emerged as Michigan’s top target on Friday, and the school worked quickly to get things done. The hope is that he will be a stabilizing presence after Michigan found itself in multiple scandals in recent years, culminating in the one that led to Moore’s dismissal.

As recently as 2024, Whittingham was essentially taking the retirement talk on a year-to-year basis. If he is signing on for five years at Michigan, he clearly feels good and motivated, and expects that to last.

Whittingham went 177-88 in over two decades at Utah before stepping down earlier this month. There was some thought that he would be retiring at that point, but that is obviously not the case.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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