Michigan AD hoping Kyle Whittingham hire will bring 'steadiness'

The last few years have been filled with highs and lows for Michigan athletics.

On one hand, the Wolverines won national championships in football in 2023 and in basketball this past season. However, not every development has been positive for the athletics department, particularly the football program.

The school received NCAA sanctions over the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal, and former assistant coach Matt Weiss was indicted for federal crimes. Then, in December, head coach Sherrone Moore was fired after an investigation revealed an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. He was subsequently arrested after allegedly breaking into the staffer's home.

He later pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors.

Michigan replaced him with Kyle Whittingham, who was previously the longest-tenured coach in the FBS at Utah. Speaking to the media at the Big Ten spring meetings, athletics director Warde Manuel said he's hoping for stability in the program.

"I always aim for steadiness, believe me," Manuel said, per ESPN. "This is not anything that I've desired or wanted or hoped for, but I deal with it, and then you know my goal as a leader is to provide the steadiness to ... the rest of the department, and my staff, and student-athletes, and I think I and we have done that as a department in the organization. I don't take any of it lightly.

"It's not something that I welcome, but we've dealt with it."

After the successful-but-controversial tenures of Jim Harbaugh and Moore, his top assistant and successor, Manuel opted to go in a completely different direction with Whittingham, who had been the head coach at Utah since 2005 but stepped down following the 2025 season.

Whittingham had eight 10-plus win seasons in his 21 years in Salt Lake City, most recently this past season. Though he may be in the twilight of his career at 66, Manuel hopes he can provide the steady hand the program has been lacking.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Michigan Football: AD Warde Manuel hoping for 'steadiness'