Utah is suing former assistant coach Freddie Whittingham, alleging a breach of contract after he followed his brother, Kyle, to Michigan.
The University of Utah claims that Freddie Whittingham “abandoned” his role as tight ends coach at the school shortly after Kyle Whittingham was hired by the Wolverines.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Freddie Whittingham had been with the Utah football program since 2012 in various capacities and was under contract through Jan. 31, 2027, with an annual base salary of $525,000.
In the complaint, filed in Utah’s 3rd District Court on August 3, the university is suing him for more than $300,000 for breach of contract and at least $1 million in general and special damages on the fiduciary-duty claim, plus punitive damages.
The lawsuit makes numerous accusations against Freddie Whittingham
The lawsuit alleges Freddie Whittingham did not give coaching the Utah football team his “full-time attention and energy.” It also claims that prior to discussing an assistant coaching post at Ann Arbor with the Wolverines in January, he never obtained formal approval from Utah, as required by his contract.
Additionally, Utah alleges that Whittingham accepted his new job with the Wolverines without giving the Utes written notice of his resignation, and after departing for Michigan, he failed to pay the “liquidated damages” stipulated in his contract. According to Utah, Freddie Whittingham is the only coach who has not fulfilled the damages clause in the contracts of the six coaches who departed for Michigan.
Utah associate athletic director Jeff Rudy says he discovered Whittingham and his relatives cleaning out his office on January 1. When Rudy returned an hour later, the office was “empty.”
The lawsuit also alleges that Freddie Whittingham attended a Michigan basketball game with his brother Kyle and other former Utah employees on January 2.
Michigan assistant athletic director Jerry Wood allegedly emailed an unidentified Utah sports official on January 3, asking the program to move Freddie Whittingham’s phone line to Michigan’s account.
Utah also alleges that Freddie Whittingham was actively recruiting Utah players to join Michigan while still employed by the university.