Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Michigan’s search for a new head coach took a sharp turn in the wrong direction in the last 12 hours after the program seemingly swung and missed on its top two candidates.
The Wolverines are in the market for a new head coach after the ugly dismissal of previous head coach Sherrone Moore, who was found to have had an inappropriate relationship with a member of the football staff.
Moore then went to the staff member’s house and allegedly threatened both her and himself, leading to his arrest.
Michigan Missed Out On Kalen DeBoer And Kenny Dillingham
As Michigan turns its view forward toward its next head coach, several names have emerged as candidates. Atop of the list of candidates were two big names: Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham.
DeBoer took the Crimson Tide job after the retirement of legendary head coach Nick Saban. But he struggled in his first year, going 9-4 and missing the College Football Playoff. This year, the Tide barely snuck into the playoff after narrowly avoiding a disastrous upset by rival Auburn.
Many, including the Wolverines, felt he could have been prised away from Tuscaloosa should Alabama lose in the opening round of the playoff against Oklahoma.
However, the Crimson Tide fought back from a 17-0 deficit to come back and beat the Sooners, 34-24. The victory all but solidified DeBoer’s job with Alabama for the foreseeable future.
Dillingham, meanwhile, is one of the top young head coaches in the country, having led his Alma Mater to a Big 12 championship in 2024 and nearly upsetting Texas in the College Football Playoff.
There was a belief among some, however, that Dillingham would leave for a job that would give him a better chance at winning a national championship. Michigan, in theory, is such a job.
However, on Saturday morning, Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that Dillingham had agreed to a new contract at Arizona State that both upped his salary and his staff’s salary pool.
Kenny Dillingham has signed a new contract at Arizona State, which will average $7.5 million over the course of the deal. The staff salary pool is up to $11 million, which puts it near the top of the Big 12, sources told @PeteThamel. pic.twitter.com/41yBnCiqLp
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 20, 2025
That means that in just a 12-hour span, the Wolverines missed out on both DeBoer and Dillingham.
So, where does Michigan go from here?
Well, Washington head coach Jedd Fisch still makes plenty of sense. Fisch spent two seasons in Ann Arbor under Jim Harbaugh and has East Coast roots.
Meanwhile, former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham’s name has also surfaced as a possibility. While Whittingham may seem like a strange candidate, he could steady the ship for the Wolverines while allowing them more time to run a proper search moving forward.
Either way, it certainly seems as if Michigan is back to square one for the time being.