Kyle Whittingham, through his agent, informed the University of Utah of his intent to return for the 2026 season, a public records request placed by the Deseret News revealed.
On Dec. 2, ahead of a Dec. 5 deadline for Whittingham to inform the university of his future plans, Whittingham’s agent, Bruce Tollner, emailed associate athletic director for football administration Jeff Rudy to inform Utah that Whittingham “does not intend to retire at the conclusion of the 2025 football season.”
The next day, Tollner sent a follow-up email to Rudy with Whittingham’s request for a raise in the 2026 and 2027 seasons. Whittingham’s contract, signed in 2022, went through the 2027 season.
Per his contract, Whittingham was set to be paid $7.4 million in 2026, which includes a $5,900,000 base, $1 million from multimedia rights partner JMI, and $500,000 from outfitter Under Armour. In 2027, Whittingham was set to be paid $8 million, not including any performance-based bonuses.
In negotiations with the university, Whittingham asked for a $1.6 million raise for both years, which would have bumped his total compensation, excluding performance-based bonuses, to $9 million in 2026 and $9.6 million in 2027.
Whittingham, through his agent, also requested $20 million in NIL funds and an assistant coach salary pool increase of $2 million.
In an email from Utah deputy athletics director and chief financial officer John Jentz, the university details a proposed one-year contract for the 2026 season, which would have increased Whittingham’s total salary to $8 million; however, it noted that Morgan Scalley, the coach-in-waiting, would have “full and final oversight in decision-making for the areas of football recruiting/player personnel staffing and the general manager position effective Feb. 1, which was after the 2026 transfer portal closed.
It also said that, effective immediately, Scalley would have “complete decision-making authority over all football recruiting, roster management, and staffing matters that impact the program beyond the 2026 football season.”
In addition, any staffing decisions made by Whittingham that would “result in the change or relinquishing of duties” would require Harlan’s approval, and a senior athletic department official would be housed full-time in the football facility.
Whittingham and the university could not come to an agreement on those terms, and on Dec. 12, the school announced that Whittingham was stepping down after 21 years as Utah’s head coach.
Scalley took over as head coach at Utah on Dec. 13 and Whittingham accepted the head coaching job at Michigan on Dec. 26. The 66-year-old Whittingham will be paid an average of $8.2 million over the course of the five-year deal at Michigan, according to ESPN.
On Dec. 12, Whittingham signed the fourth amendment to his contract, which spelled out the terms for exiting the university.
Whittingham’s contract previously said that he would serve as a “special assistant to the athletics director” following retirement for two years at a salary of $3.45 million per year. The fourth amendment to Whittingham’s contract replaced that with a transition bonus of $13.5 million, paid out as $8 million in Jan. 2026, $4 million in Jan. 2027 and $1.5 million in Jan. 2028.
The fourth amendment also included this language: “As consideration for the transition bonus, Coach Whittingham agrees that he will work with the University and its Athletics Departments to facilitate a smooth and successful transition of the Football Program to the incoming head coach of the Football Program and his coaching staff.”
Importantly, the fourth amendment did not prevent Whittingham from seeking another coaching job outside of the state of Utah. If Whittingham had accepted a coaching job in the state of Utah, the transition bonus would have been forfeited, but because he accepted the Michigan job, the university is required to pay out the bonus.
Reached for comment on Friday afternoon, Tollner provided a statement:
“Coach Whittingham made clear his hope and desire to remain as the head football coach at the University of Utah under the current contract. When the university chose to move in a different direction, we negotiated a separation agreement in good faith and fully complied with every term.
“At all times, Coach Whittingham acted professionally and in a manner consistent with both the terms and the spirit of the agreement. That agreement did not prohibit Coach Whittingham from pursuing future coaching opportunities or engaging with coaches and staff, beyond the specific and limited restrictions that were expressly included.
“The Whittingham family cherishes his 32 consecutive seasons leading the University of Utah and will forever have a deep appreciation for the student-athletes and the Utah community. They are grateful for the loyalty and passion of the fans, which have been a constant throughout their time. The relationships they built and the experiences they shared will always be meaningful to them.”
In a Jan. 23 letter from Mark Harlan to Whittingham, Utah’s athletic director enclosed a check for $8,013,808.20, which included interest from Jan. 8, to satisfy the first payment of the transition bonus.
In the letter, Harlan also expressed disappointment from what he saw as Whittingham acting “contrary to the terms of (his) employment agreement, which requires (him) to assist with a smooth and successful transition of the football program to the new head coach and his coaching staff.”
Six assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Jason Beck, four Utah players, including cornerback Smith Snowden and defensive end John Henry Daley, and a Utah recruit, Salesi Moa, followed Whittingham to Michigan.
Utah’s athletic department declined to comment on this story.
The letter from Harlan to Whittingham read:
Dear Kyle:
Enclosed, please find a check for $8,013,808.20 which includes interest from January 8th to today’s date. 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. 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 nondisparagement. We have determined that a fight over this issue would not be in the longterm 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.
Sincerely,
Mark Harlan