Michigan’s coaching search is entering a critical stretch with the calendar offering little margin for errors at this point.
Two weeks after the Michigan Wolverines fired head coach Sherrone Moore for cause, the program still has not named a replacement. With the NCAA transfer portal opening Jan. 2, Michigan’s delay has heightened urgency around a process that appears far from complete.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel provided an update Wednesday on Get Up, noting that a hire is not expected before Christmas or immediately afterward. Thamel identified three coaches currently viewed as prime candidates: Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz, Washington's Jedd Fisch, and Utah's Kyle Whittingham, who recently announced he's stepping away after 21 seasons.
.@PeteThamel gives an update on Michigan's head coaching search ✍️ pic.twitter.com/OxXixtOds9
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 24, 2025
Each option carries complications in the situation. Drinkwitz is preparing for a Dec. 27 bowl game, while Fisch is attempting to boost a Washington roster amid portal movement. Whittingham has openly embraced his availability, calling himself a “free agent” after his departure from Utah. A situation where defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley has been the eventual coach-in-waiting for the Utes for years.
Fisch is the only candidate with prior Michigan ties, having served on the Wolverines’ offensive staff from 2015-16. Regardless of the direction, Michigan must act quickly.
With players effectively becoming free agents next week, the program’s next decision will shape not only its sideline, but its roster as well.
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