Michigan State may be on the verge of finding its next head coach.
Former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is the “focal point” of the Wolverines’ coaching search, according to ESPN. “Whittingham’s candidacy is expected to be shared with senior Michigan officials on Friday, and if they approve, a deal could be done in the near future,” sources said.
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Whittingham recently announced he was resigning after 21 years coaching the Utes, though he made it clear he wasn’t necessarily retiring from coaching.
Whittingham, 66, compiled a 177-88 record at Utah after taking over for Urban Meyer late in the 2004 season. During Whittingham’s tenure, the Utes won at least 10 games in seven seasons and had only three losing seasons. Each of those seasons had fewer than five wins.
Hiring Whittingham or someone else would bring an abrupt end to December’s coaching search, just over two weeks after Sherron Moore was fired. The second-year coach was fired without cause on Dec. 10 after the University of Michigan discovered evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.
Moore then allegedly went to the staff member’s residence and threatened to kill himself while telling her she had ruined his life. Moore was charged with felony breaking and entering and two misdemeanors in connection with the incident, with a court date set for January.
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Whittingham has been a tenured coach at Utah since he played linebacker at BYU. He spent two seasons as a graduate assistant with the Cougars before coaching for seven years at Eastern Utah and Idaho State. In 1994, he became Utah’s defensive line coach and has coached for Utah ever since. In 1995, he became the school’s defensive coordinator and remained as JPB until 2005, when Meyer left to coach the University of Florida.
