Kyle Whittingham wanted to stay.
Yet two weeks after beating Kansas and completing a 10-win regular season, he announced his resignation from the University of Utah and just a couple of weeks later signed a deal to become the head football coach at the University of Michigan.
Documents Yahoo Sports uncovered through public records requests show how the plans changed and how a relationship between coach and school soured in Utah.
Whittingham is the all-time winningest coach in Utes football history, a tenure that began in December 2004 for a coach who had been a member of the staff since 1994.
After finishing the regular season and before a date in the Las Vegas Bowl, Whittingham — who was the second-longest tenured head coach in the FBS — relayed to the school through agent Bruce Tollner that he wished to remain in the job and included a litany of requests.
According to Yahoo, Whittingham wanted his salary to jump from $7.4 million to $9 million, $20 million in NIL funds and an increase of $2 million in a pool for his coaching staff.
Three days later, according to the report, Utah sent Tollner an offer for a one-year, $8 million deal that included several stipulations — notably that the 66-year-old would begin to cede some control to defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley, who had been announced as Utah’s coach in waiting in July 2024 and whose presence loomed over Whittingham’s exit.
Included in this offer, according to Yahoo, was that Scalley would be the program’s general manager and have “full and final” oversight in decision-making regarding recruiting, player personnel and staffing decisions that would affect the school beyond 2026. Additionally, athletic director Mark Harlan would be in charge of approving some staffing decisions made by Whittingham.
This deal was never inked. On Dec. 12, Whittingham announced his resignation and signed a deal with Utah in which he would receive $13.5 million in three installments over two years as a “transition bonus,” according to Yahoo.
“As consideration for the transition bonus,” reads the separation agreement, “Coach Whittingham agrees that he will work with the University and its Athletics Department to facilitate a smooth and successful transition of the Football Program to the incoming head coach of the Football Program and his coaching staff.”
On Dec. 26, Whittingham joined Michigan and brought a number of staff members with him, including offensive coordinator Jason Beck and strength coach Doug Elisaia. Whittingham also flipped four-star defensive back Salesi Moa from a Utah commitment to join him in Michigan.
Utah apparently felt this violated its $13.5 million agreement, though a letter from Harlan to Whittingham that Yahoo obtained shows the university followed through with an $8 million check in January.
“This represents the first payment of a Transition Bonus to be paid in three installments over the next two years under the Fourth Amendment to your Employment Agreement,” the letter reads. “As you know, the University was disappointed by your actions last month. The University felt that your involvement with recruiting our football coaches and staff to Michigan was contrary to the terms of your employment agreement which requires you to assist with a smooth and successful transition of the football program to the new head coach and his coaching staff. Your position was that this provision only prohibited non-disparagement. We have determined that a fight over this issue would not be in the long-term interests of the University and its football program or your legacy as our long-time football coach. We have decided to look to the future and we hope and expect that you will do the same.
“Future payments of the Transition Bonus will be paid pursuant to the ongoing terms of the Fourth Amendment. We wish you well.”
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