By the end of this week, Michigan football will have a new head coach.
That's my prediction anyway. The timing seems to add up. The Wolverines want to have a coach in place by January 1st. Yet, it took 10 days to hire Dusty May. Sherrone Moore was fired on Wednesday, December 10th, so a hire by the 21st or 22nd seems reasonable.
Michigan seemed determined to take a swing at Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer. He released a statement on Sunday, stating he has no interest in other jobs. He also said he hasn't spoken to anyone about another job.
His representatives might have, though. Alabama is working on an extension now, according to On3. If that's signed, game over. The same with Kenny Dillingham.
But saying you are close to an extension is different from having it completed. With that in mind, here is the updated power ranking of Michigan head-coaching candidates with a couple of new candidates now part of the equation.
5. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
According to the AP, his representatives were contacted by Michigan. Yet, after his comments about the sign-stealing scandal, it's hard to see this happening. The best thing you can say is that Drinkwitz had two double-digit win seasons at Missouri. He also beat Ohio State, but that was in a meaningless bowl game, in which OSU played a backup quarterback.
Hard pass.
4. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Kyle Whittingham has been one of the best college football head coaches for two decades at Utah. He won back-to-back Pac-12 titles in 2021 and 2022. He also coached the Utes to a 13-0 season in 2008, which included a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama.
Whittingham has never coached in the College Football Playoff and he just stepped down from the job at Utah, effective at the end of the season.
However, Chris Balas of The Wolverine reports that Whittingham isn't done coaching. He's contacted Michigan about the job, and could become a candidate, although his age (65) will probably work against him.
Yet, it should be noted that Curt Cignetti is 64 years old. That means he was 63 during the first season that he was the head coach for Indiana.
Just food for thought.
Whittingham isn't expected to seriously contend for the job, but he's a proven head coach, and if he was able to hire the right staff, a 5-6 year run of success isn't hard to imagine.
3. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
I know, I know, the man just said he's not leaving Alabama. But things could change depending on what happens Saturday.
Michigan was always going to have to wait for after the College Football Playoff. DeBoer would have to be nuts to leave during a playoff run. If Alabama beats Oklahoma, that's it, regardless of whether there is mutual interest or not.
The Wolverines can't wait. They shouldn't wait for DeBoer, but public statements can't always be bought at face value. If Alabama wasn't worried, why push for an extension in year two?
It's not likely that DeBoer is the Michigan football head coach, but it still feels more likely than Kyle Whittingham or Eli Drinkwitz.
Jedd Fisch, Washington
Fisch led Washington to a 38-3 win over Boise State in the LA Bowl on Saturday night, capping off a nine-win season in his second year as the Huskies head coach.
Considering where things stood when DeBoer left for Alabama, that's a damn good result. Arizona was a dumpster fire, and Fisch won 10 games by his third season, which is only the second time Arizona has ever won 10 games.
Fisch is a QB guru. Over the past four seasons, this year's Washington offense has been the worst pass offense he's had, and the Huskies have averaged 34 points per game. He had teams average more than 300 yards passing in 2022 and 2023. Washington threw for 261 yards per game in 2024 and 244 in 2025.
Washington only averaged 391 yards per game this season. His previous three offenses averaged more than 460 yards per game. Fisch has rebuilt two programs, won at least nine games at two Power-4 schools, and he's only been a head coach for five seasons.
Fisch would be a great hire. He also feels like he's a solid second choice right now.
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Yes, Dillingham talked about how much he loved Arizona State on Saturday, to the point that he started crying.
Leaving a place you call home can be an emotional experience, but if offered the chance to do that, my guess is that Dillingham would leave Arizona State for the Michigan football job.
This is Michigan. Dillingham knows what that means. He has a chance to win a national championship in Ann Arbor, and feels llike the kind of coach with the potential to achieve that.
In some ways, he's more risky than Fisch. Jedd has proven he can win in the Big Ten. Dillingham has had two good seasons in the Big 12. The Sun Devils did win a conference title, but you can't really call Dillingham a proven winner just yet.
DeBoer and Whittingham are different. They are proven entities. One doesn't seem likely to leave his current job. The other might be too long in the tooth.
That leaves Fisch and Dillingham. Either would be a solid hire. Dillingham feels like he has more upside. He's a dynamic leader, maybe a mixture of Jim Harbaugh and Dusty May, hard-nosed but also extremely intelligent. He also hasn't signed the contract extension that was talked about on Saturday, which has been on the table since the end of the season.
Dillingham is the guy I've wanted since day one, regardless of what DeBoer was going. The Arizona State head coach would be a home run, if the Wolverines can strike a deal.