Kyle Whittingham did not want to leave the University of Utah at the end of last season.

The longtime football coach told the U. he did not “intend to retire” — and he wanted a raise.

And when he eventually took a new job at the University of Michigan, bringing some Utah assistant coaches and players with him, U. officials withheld millions of dollars for a time, saying they were “ disappointed by [his] actions.”

That’s according to new documents obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune through a public records request. The documents shed light on Whittingham’s exit from the U., where he spent two decades as head coach and had another year left on his contract.

“Coach Whittingham made clear his hope and desire to remain as the head football coach at the University of Utah under the current contract,” Whittingham’s agent and attorney Bruce Tollner told the Tribune in a text. “When the university chose to move in a different direction, we negotiated a separation agreement in good faith and fully complied with every term.”

Whittingham wanted to stay

At the start of the 2025 season, Whittingham had two years remaining on his deal.

That contract also included an annual deadline for Whittingham to provide written notice of his retirement decision to the Utah board of trustees and Athletic Director Mark Harlan.

On Dec. 2, Whittingham’s agent, Tollner, informed Utah’s athletic department that Whittingham wanted to coach for another season.

“As we discussed,” Tollner wrote in an email to Utah Associate Athletic Director Jeff Rudy, “Coach Whittingham does not intend to retire at the conclusion of the 2025 football season.”

A day later, Tollner sent an email with Whittingham’s new financial requests:

• A salary of $9 million to $9.6 million.

• A Name, Image and Likeness budget of $20 million.

• An assistant coach salary pool increased of $2 million.

Whittingham gets a new contract

Within a few days, it was clear that a split between Whittingham and the U. was in the works.

On Dec. 6, associate athletic director John Jentz sent an email to Rudy and associate AD Jason Greco outlining the terms of a contract amendment that would map a transition to new head coach Morgan Scalley.

Whittingham’s new deal would end “the day after Utah’s final game of the 2026 season.”

In the outlined proposal, Whittingham would get a deal worth $8 million in total for his final season — but it would come with stipulations:

• Scalley would have “full and final oversight” over decisions involving recruiting, player personnel, the program’s general manager and other matters that would impact the program beyond 2026.

• Any staffing decisions Whittingham made would need to be approved by the athletic director.

• And an athletic department senior administrator chosen by the department would be housed full-time within the football facility.

By Dec. 12, the U. and Whittingham had agreed to a different deal, one that would pay him millions as he walked away from the program.

The coach’s previous contract included a retirement position that would pay him $3.45 million annually for a two-year term as special assistant.

The contract amendment, which was signed on Dec. 12, the day Whittingham announced he would “step down” from the program, gave Whittingham a $13.5 million “transition bonus” to be paid in three installments.

On Jan. 8, 2026, he’d receive a first payment of $8 million. The next payments would occur on Jan. 8, 2027, and Jan. 8, 2028, where he’d receive $4 million and $1.5 million, respectively.

Contention with the transition bonus

On Dec. 26, Whittingham agreed to take a deal with Michigan, eventually bringing along seven Utah assistants. In the days after, the documents obtained by The Tribune indicate, there was a dispute between Whittingham and the U. over his actions and the millions he was owed.

In Whittingham’s new contract, he agreed to help the university with a “smooth and successful” transition for Scalley and the football program.

On Jan. 23, the U. paid Whittingham his first installment of $8 million — plus $13,000 in interest for temporarily withholding the money — during a dispute over his exit.

“As you know, the University was disappointed by your actions last month. The University felt that your involvement with recruiting our football coaches and staff to Michigan was contrary to the terms of your employment agreement which requires you to assist with a smooth and successful transition of the football program to the new head coach and his coaching staff,” Harlan wrote in a letter to Whittingham.

“Your position was that this provision only prohibited non-disparagement. We have determined that a fight over this issue would not be in the long-term interests of the University and its football program or your legacy as our long-time football coach. We have decided to look to the future and we hope and expect that you will do the same.”

The U. said it would pay Whittingham his two remaining installments in 2027 and 2028 so long as he did not violate the terms of their agreement.

“At all times, Coach Whittingham acted professionally and in a manner consistent with both the terms and the spirit of the agreement,” Tollner said of Whittingham in his statement. “That agreement did not prohibit Coach Whittingham from pursuing future coaching opportunities or engaging with coaches and staff, beyond the specific and limited restrictions that were expressly included.

“The Whittingham family cherishes his 32 consecutive seasons leading the University of Utah and will forever have a deep appreciation for the student-athletes and the Utah community. They are grateful for the loyalty and passion of the fans, which have been a constant throughout their time. The relationships they built and the experiences they shared will always be meaningful to them.”