Mike Florio ,
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Michigan has its new man.
Via ESPN.com, the Wolverines have agreed to a five-year contract with Utah coach Kyle Whittingham.
The two were linked recently , with only approval from the powers-that-be holding the pursestrings needed to make it happen. It did.
Wittingham will make, on average, $8.2 million per year, with 75 percent of the deal guaranteed.
He spent 21 years at Utah, announcing earlier this month that he’d be stepping down. As it turns out, Whittingham is stepping up to one of the best jobs in the country, recent warts notwithstanding.
The 66-year-old Whittingham compiled a record of 177-88 at Utah, including a 13-0 season in 2008.
And so ends a job search that emerged with the surprisingly sudden firing of Sherrone Moore, who handled the job for two years after the departure of Jim Harbaugh for the Chargers. Interim coach Bill Poggi recently described the program as “ five years of a malfunctioning organization .” Along the way, however, the Wolverines malfunctioned their way to a national championship.
For now, the football team needs to be stabilized. Whittingham may be the bridge to a future that puts the recents scandals and controversies in the rear-view mirror while they plan for a brighter and more rules-compliant future.
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