In one of the wildest Big 12 stories of the year, 66-year-old Kyle Whittingham took the Michigan job just days after stepping down at Utah.

There are plenty of fair questions to ask in the aftermath. Was Whittingham pushed out at Utah? Why would Michigan want a coach that Utah was done with? And how many coaches and players from Utah and BYU are coming to Ann Arbor with him?

I don’t think “pushed out” is the right framing. “Nudged out” is probably closer. And to some extent, the nudging was of his own making.

Whittingham had hinted at age 65 being the end of his run, and defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley was his handpicked successor in 2019. Scalley has waited six years for his turn, and a coach with his resume would have plenty of value on the open market.

KSL’s Steve Bartle did a great job laying out why Utah could be ready to move from Whittingham to Scalley right now, even after a 10-win season in 2025. Holding onto Whittingham too long and losing Scalley was a risk the Utes didn’t want to take.

And Whittingham continues to say publicly that it was ultimately his decision. 

Timing is everything, and Michigan’s opening couldn’t have come at a better moment for Whittingham.

Scandals have plagued the Wolverines since their national title in 2023, and Whittingham’s pristine reputation, no-nonsense attitude, and ability to build a program built on physicality perfectly matched what Michigan needs right now. 

After swinging for fences didn’t land unrealistic candidates like Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Whittingham made perfect sense for Michigan AD Warde Manuel. 

Now we wait for the ripple effects across football in the state of Utah.

Whittingham has to build a staff immediately, with the transfer portal opening by the end of the week. His first target is BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill, who worked under Whittingham at Utah from 2005 to 2013.

Early reports indicate Hill is going to take the job. Frankly, he probably should if his long-term goal is to become a Power Four head coach.

Taking a coordinator job at a top 5 to 10 program offers a different level of visibility. It puts you on a national radar in a way the Big 12 often can’t match.

Notice I didn’t say taking an SEC or Big Ten job is a better career move than working in the Big 12. It’s about brands. The top 5 to 10 programs command more attention than everyone else, regardless of conference. Michigan is one of those brands.

Hill took BYU from 11th in the conference in scoring defense in 2023 to first over his two seasons combined. He’s done a phenomenal job. 

Will other Cougars coaches follow? What about players?

Michigan fans already think All-American safety Faletau Satuala will follow Hill to the Wolverines. 

He won’t be the only retention battle BYU faces in the coming weeks. 

Utah won’t be immune either. Whittingham said at his introductory press conference he only expects to retain two or three coaches from the previous Michigan staff. If he’s filling as many as eight openings, some of those hires are going to come from Utah.

Offensive coordinator Jason Beck is at the top of that list. Beck resurrected a Utah offense that struggled through disappointing 2023 and 2024 seasons. The Utes finished second in the country in rushing during his lone season in Salt Lake City. 

Longtime offensive line coach Jim Harding also seems like a strong possibility for Whittingham’s Wolverine staff. 

The good news for Utah fans is it appears star Michigan QB Bryce Underwood is staying, so Utah QB Devon Dampier probably isn’t a Wolverine target. But could Dampier still hit the portal if Beck, who coached him at New Mexico and Utah, leaves?

These are the questions that come with a coaching change. 

After giving Utah more than 20 years of stability and excellence, it’s fair that Whittingham pulls from his Utah connections to build a staff in Ann Arbor. I understand some fan grumbling, but it shouldn’t diminish his Utah legacy at all.

I also think the Utes and Cougars are better positioned than ever to withstand hits to their staffs and rosters.

BYU’s brand and financial commitment to football have never been stronger. When Penn State came calling on Kalani Sitake, the Cougars were forced to raise the bar to keep him.

$25 to $30 million for a football roster will attract and retain plenty of talent, and BYU now has 23 wins over the last two seasons to sell. Never in my lifetime has the BYU brand been hotter. 

The Cougars are a legitimate playoff contender. Just ask Notre Dame, which scheduled BYU as a replacement for USC. Playing the Fighting Irish is also a nice carrot to dangle for portal targets.

Replacing Hill won’t be easy, but Sitake has so much more to sell than he did when he targeted Hill two years ago. 

I’ll give you $500 million reasons why Utah shouldn’t have an issue replacing talent, whether that’s coaches or players. Criticize the long-term ramifications of the Utes’ private equity deal if you want, but the money will be there in the short term. 

Utah also re-established its brand with a 10-win season this fall. It reinforces the narrative that the 2023 and 2024 dip was largely about quarterback injuries catching up to them.

I’m sure more painful departures are coming, but these programs aren’t going anywhere. Too much has been invested in keeping Utah and BYU in contention for Whittingham to blow it all up.

The Big 12 iteration of the Holy War has been glorious, and it’s here to stay. 

Weight of the World on Texas Tech’s Shoulders

I’d argue that Texas Tech’s College Football Playoff matchup with Oregon in the Orange Bowl is the biggest game in new Big 12 history. 

Winning playoff games is the only way for the conference to earn universal respect, and those opportunities don’t come often. 

Arizona State was playing with house money last year. Nobody expected them to push Texas, yet the Sun Devils were one play away from cashing a massive Big 12 credibility boost. 

The stakes are different for the Red Raiders. They’ve been a national story all season. They’re only a 1.5-point underdog. That brings a different level of expectation.

Josh Pate’s biggest point when previewing the game was that Tech still has to prove its elite stat profile is real because it was built in the Big 12.

As infuriating as that is, it’s how a lot of SEC and Big Ten country thinks. If Tech struggles against Oregon, it will be used as an indictment of the entire conference. After all, Tech beat everyone in the league by at least 22 when QB Behren Morton was healthy. 

If the Red Raiders want to be taken seriously as a national contender, and not just the best of the rest, they have to show it on this stage.

I could not have been more wrong earlier this season when I said Tech QB Will Hammond was more ready for a playoff game than Morton. That was my worst take of the year.

Now this is the moment for Morton to double down on making me look silly. He should be as healthy as he’s been in months after 25 days to rest the hairline fracture he’s been playing through.

Morton told the Oregonian he’s at 80-85% right now, up from the 70% he played at in the Big 12 Championship Game. 

The Ducks are good enough to force Morton to beat them. I’m ready to watch him do just that.

What You Need to Know

• I wish I could devote an entire newsletter to BYU Pop-Tarts Bowl content. This was definitely the best sound byte to come from the game. I guarantee this, this, and this will make you laugh. Oh, and somebody please find me one of these. 

• Houston has locked down commitments from three of its best players to return for 2026 after winning ten games this year. 

• Baylor men’s basketball head coach Scott Drew defended himself against criticism from Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo for signing former NBA draft pick James Nnaji. 

• Check out this great read on Texas Tech billionaire booster Cody Campbell. There is excellent background on here on who he is, what makes him tick, and what he really wants out of his newfound notoriety. 

• For more on the aftermath of Kyle Whittingham taking the Michigan job and how it will affect BYU and Utah, check out my latest YouTube livestream.

Enjoying Open For Business? It would mean the world to me if you could share the newsletter with three of your friends who want Big 12 news without SEC or Big Ten bias. Tell them to sign up at OFBNews.com and get started today!