Michigan Head Coach Search Rumors: 3 Coaches Joel Klatt Has His Eyes On

A week has gone by since Michigan fired Sherrone Moore, but it still hasn’t found its next head coach. 

Several coaches have been linked to the Michigan job since it opened, with the likes of Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham being among the more highly rumored candidates for the job. The search in Ann Arbor to find the next head coach, though, is still ongoing. So, let’s dive into the latest rumors surrounding the Michigan job. 

Joel Klatt: Michigan’s next head coach will be one of these 3 candidates

FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt believes that Michigan is targeting three people to become its next head coach: Alabama’s DeBoer, Arizona State’s Dillingham and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea. 

Yes, Klatt knows that DeBoer stated his commitment to Alabama on Sunday. However, he doesn’t think the statement was ironclad. 

“It seems cut and dry,” Klatt said on the most recent episode of his podcast, “The Joel Klatt Show.” “Maybe I’m crazy. I don’t know. Until there’s ink on a contract, and he’s signing an extension at Alabama, I think there’s still going to be smoke in the air. So, we’ll see what goes on with Kalen DeBoer.”

Of course, the obstacle for Michigan to try and hire DeBoer, at the moment, is that he and No. 9-ranked Alabama are set to play No. 8 Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday. If Alabama wins that game, it would play Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. That’s a day before the transfer portal opens, so possibly waiting for DeBoer would cause some complications on Michigan’s end.

When the news broke of Sherrone Moore’s firing at Michigan, Klatt had Lea and Dillingham on his list of three coaches he thinks could end up getting the job. Both coaches recently got extensions, with Dillingham receiving a deal following the end of the 2024 season and Lea signing an extension in November. Klatt also recognized that Michigan might face other complications in trying to hire Dillingham and Lea, but that shouldn’t stop it from pursuing those two coaches. 

“Kenny Dillingham, I think is interesting, and Clark Lea, I think, is interesting as well,” Klatt said. “We knew this was not a great time for Michigan. They’re at the tail end of this thing, as far as the coaching carousel goes. So, it’s going to be difficult for them. I think they shouldn’t be scared by extensions. OK, so a guy signed an extension. Great, go talk to them, see what you’ve got. There’s problems with all three of these guys. DeBoer has a game on Friday, so he’s only going to dig his heels in at Alabama. 

“Dillingham is at his alma mater, and they’re reportedly working on an extension with Dillingham at Arizona State. There’s also some family dynamics that might keep him in the Phoenix area. Clark Lea already signed an extension at his alma mater, but you’ve got to kick the tires on a guy you might feel is a good fit. So, those are three names that you keep an eye on.”

Dillingham, as Klatt alluded to, is an Arizona native and an Arizona State alum. The 35-year-old has already had great success at his alma mater, going 22-16 in his three seasons as Arizona State’s head coach. He also helped Arizona State win a Big 12 title in 2024, reaching the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff before posting an 8-4 record this year.

Lea, meanwhile, has slowly built up Vanderbilt. The Commodores went 10-2 in Lea’s fifth year at the helm, marking their first 10-win season in program history. He’s also won SEC Coach of the Year in each of the last two seasons. Lea has gone 26-35 in his five seasons at Vanderbilt, but has a 17-8 record in the last two years. 

Michigan has “serious interest” in Kalen DeBoer

Alabama’s season is still ongoing, but that isn’t stopping Michigan from pursuing Kalen DeBoer. Michigan has “serious interest” in hiring Alabama’s head coach, FOX Sports college football insider Bruce Feldman said on the most recent episode of the “Bear Bets” podcast.

“What I’ve heard is that [DeBoer] does like it at Alabama and I know the AD (athletic director Greg Byrne) really likes him and the leadership likes him and thinks he’s the guy they want to lead the program,” Feldman said. “But if they lose, man, I wonder if that changes the calculus for a lot of people — including DeBoer. 

“There’s serious interest, from what I’ve been told, at Michigan for DeBoer. He’s really a good offensive coach and they at Michigan have been dreadful on offense. They were horrible last year and weren’t that much better this year. I think that’s something they’ll look at.”

Alabama is playing Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday, throwing a wrench into Michigan’s possible pursuit of DeBoer. Earlier in the week, DeBoer also stated that he was committed to Alabama amid the Michigan rumors. 

Still, the buzz surrounding DeBoer’s possible candidacy to become Michigan’s next head coach hasn’t slowed down. DeBoer has already dealt with some hot-seat chatter in Alabama despite posting a 19-7 record in his first two seasons with the Crimson Tide as he replaced Nick Saban.

Even with the hot seat chatter surrounding DeBoer, he’s one of the more accomplished active head coaches in college football. He led Washington to the national championship game in his second season as head coach in 2023, where it lost to Michigan. He’s gone 123-19 in his career as a head coach, having successful stints at Fresno State and Sioux Falls, a Division II program.

If DeBoer turns down Michigan’s overtures, Feldman has a couple of other coaches who might be strong candidates for the Michigan job.

“The names that I think are at play here are Jedd Fisch, a former Michigan assistant under Jim Harbaugh and did an amazing job at Arizona,” Feldman said. “He just led Washington to nine wins in Year 2. He’s also a really good offensive coach. I think he’s in play for the job. Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State is in the mix, I believe.”

Fisch, as Feldman mentioned, just went 9-4 at Washington after going 6-7 in his first year with the program. He went 16-21 over his three years as Arizona’s head coach. However, the Wildcats went 10-3 in Fisch’s final season with the program, improving each year.

Dillingham has gone 22-16 in his three seasons as Arizona State’s head coach, helping the Sun Devils win the Big 12 Championship in 2024.

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