The coaching carousel is still spinning, and Michigan might be the biggest domino yet to fall. After reported top targets Kalen DeBoer and Kenny Dillingham essentially came off the board over the weekend, the Wolverines are shifting gears-and fast. The search for Jim Harbaugh’s successor is heating up, and all signs now point toward a familiar Big Ten name: Jeff Brohm.
Brohm, currently the head coach at Louisville, has emerged as a serious candidate for the Michigan job, according to multiple reports. With DeBoer locked in at Alabama following their win over Oklahoma, and Dillingham seemingly staying put, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel appears to be recalibrating his approach. Brohm, a former Purdue head coach and Big Ten veteran, checks a lot of boxes for what Michigan could be looking for: proven success in a Power Five conference, offensive acumen, and a track record of building competitive programs.
Brohm’s candidacy is gaining steam at a critical time. Michigan was reportedly prepared to go all-in to land DeBoer, but with that door now closed, the urgency is growing. The transfer portal window is less than two weeks away, and every day without a head coach puts Michigan further behind in a rapidly evolving college football landscape.
Another name that had surfaced in the coaching search-Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz-appears to be out of the running. Drinkwitz just hired Michigan offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey to take the same role in Columbia. That move strongly suggests he’s staying put and building for the future at Mizzou, not preparing to jump ship.
The list of potential candidates doesn’t stop there. Interim Michigan head coach Biff Poggi, Washington’s Jedd Fisch, and Utah’s retiring legend Kyle Whittingham have all been floated as possibilities. But at this stage, Brohm is the name with the most momentum-and the one that seems to fit the Wolverines’ timeline best.
Meanwhile, Louisville is preparing for the Boca Raton Bowl against Toledo with an interim head coach after Jason Candle left for UConn. If Brohm does take the Michigan job, the Cardinals could be looking at another sudden coaching change before their bowl game kicks off Tuesday afternoon. It’s a tough spot for a program that’s already dealing with postseason turbulence.
As for Michigan, the window to make a move is narrowing. Between the transfer portal, early signing day, and the general chaos of the offseason, time is of the essence. If Brohm is indeed the guy, expect Michigan to move quickly-possibly within the week.
Here’s a look at the 2026 coaching carousel so far, and it’s already a wild one:
2026 Coaching Hires
| School | Hire | Former Job |
|---|
| Arkansas | Ryan Silverfield | Memphis head coach | | Auburn | Alex Golesh | South Florida head coach |
| California | Tosh Lupoi | Oregon defensive coordinator | | Coastal Carolina | Ryan Beard | Missouri State head coach |
| Colorado State | Jim L. Mora | UConn head coach |
| Florida | Jon Sumrall | Tulane head coach | | Iowa State | Jimmy Rogers | Washington State head coach |
| James Madison | Billy Napier | Florida head coach | | Kansas State | Collin Klein | Texas A&M offensive coordinator |
| Kentucky | Will Stein | Oregon offensive coordinator | | LSU | Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss head coach |
| Memphis | Charles Huff | Southern Miss head coach | | Missouri State | Casey Woods | SMU offensive coordinator |
| North Texas | Neal Brown | Texas special assistant to the head coach | | Oklahoma State | Eric Morris | North Texas head coach |
| Ole Miss | Pete Golding | Ole Miss defensive coordinator | | Oregon State | JaMarcus Shephard | Alabama assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator/WRs coach |
| Penn State | Matt Campbell | Iowa State head coach | | South Florida | Brian Hartline | Ohio State offensive coordinator |
| Southern Miss | Blake Anderson | Southern Miss offensive coordinator | | Stanford | Tavita Pritchard | Washington Commanders QB coach |
| Toledo | Mike Jacobs | Mercer head coach | | Tulane | Will Hall | Tulane passing game coordinator |
| UAB | Alex Mortensen | UAB offensive coordinator | | UCLA | Bob Chesney | James Madison head coach |
| UConn | Jason Candle | Toledo head coach | | Virginia Tech | James Franklin | Penn State head coach |
| Washington State | Kirby Moore | Missouri offensive coordinator |
The carousel isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Michigan’s decision could be the next major shakeup-and one that may reset the balance of power in the Big Ten once again. Stay tuned.