Utah sues Michigan football assistant Freddie Whittingham

Utah, seemingly eager to keep controversial coach Kyle Whittingham from finding new opportunities, has filed a lawsuit against his younger brother Freddie Whittingham, who now serves as the tight ends coach for Michigan. The Utah Utes sought to force Kyle Whittingham out of the university by attempting to push him towards retirement or have him step down as head coach.

Whittingham ultimately accepted the Michigan football position, leading to Utah settling with him for $13.5 million over three years as part of his transition bonus.

Freddie Whittingham, who left Utah to join the Wolverines, is now being accused by Utah of breaching his contract. The lawsuit claims that Freddie abandoned his position at Utah when he moved to Michigan following the team's bowl game on January 1, 2026. Utah alleges that Freddie did not devote full-time attention and energy to coaching the Utah football program, failed to obtain written consent from the Utes before pursuing an assistant coaching role with Michigan, and did not provide written notice of his resignation.

Furthermore, Utah claims that Freddie did not pay the liquidated damages required by his contract after leaving the Utes. This lawsuit is considered unusual, as coaches typically move positions without facing legal repercussions. In most cases, coaches leave to join other programs and their actions are not met with legal action, especially when it involves a brother moving to another department.