When Kyle Whittingham revamped almost the entire Michigan staff, fans saw the changes in the front office positions coming. Sean Magee’s run as the general manager in Ann Arbor is officially over. With this, Whittingham immediately began a search and made a hard push to steal a top ex-staff member from Notre Dame.
“NEWS: This is a big one: Michigan @UMichFootball is targeting ex-Notre Dame football top personnel executive Dave Peloquin to be the Wolverines’ new general manager, several sources tell @FootballScoop,” reported FootballScoop analyst John Brice.
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Upon his arrival, Whittingham informed Magee that his expiring contract would not be renewed. Magee entered the year with one season left on a $370K deal signed in March 2024, set to expire February 28. During his Michigan tenure, he took a swing in Chicago, but the pull of Ann Arbor proved stronger. That’s when he was openly accepted by the then-new head coach, Sherrone Moore.
During his five-year run in Ann Arbor, he was the ultimate off-field shot-caller, overseeing everything from player personnel to football ops while keeping the financial engine running. In that light, how is Peloquin going to fit in that role?
Whittingham is clearly betting on Peloquin’s polished résumé. Starting in Bob Davie’s Notre Dame days, Peloquin was the glue guy Notre Dame never lost. The Fighting Irish have been passing the head coaching keys from Ty Willingham to Charlie Weis, Brian Kelly, and now Marcus Freeman. Throughout these head-coaching transitions, Peloquin remained a constant, loyal presence at Notre Dame.
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It wasn’t for a lack of trying by other top programs. Peloquin reportedly turned down numerous offers to run personnel operations at other Power conference schools, choosing to remain loyal to Notre Dame. He arrives in Ann Arbor with serious two-way experience, having worked both sides of the college athletics table. After spending the past year running NIL operations at Athletes First, he has developed a clear idea of what players and reps want when deals hit the table.
He has developed an in-depth knowledge of school structures and offers, and how players and agents evaluate them. This administrative skill set was also one of Magee’s strengths, making Peloquin the ideal fit. However, the ex-Notre Dame staffer has a slight edge thanks to his stint with Athletes First chapter, which provides fresh NIL knowledge.
If Whittingham seals the deal with Peloquin, he will be the second new general manager hire in college football this month. On February 4, Penn State head coach Matt Campbell hired Derek Hoodjer. It was an easy decision for him, as he had previously served as the Assistant Athletics Director for Football Player Personnel at Iowa State under Campbell.
While there’s no direct Whittingham-Peloquin link, he has crossed paths with multiple members of the Wolverines’ staff.
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Dave Peloquin’s built-in chemistry with Michigan’s staff
When Whittingham stepped into Michigan, he only retained running backs coach Tony Alford from Moore’s coaching staff. So, for the 2026 season, he will be in charge of guiding the most productive piece of the Wolverines’ offense. And if Whittingham is successful in landing Peloquin, the risk will pay off.
“Peloquin and Wolverines star running backs coach Tony Alford worked hand-in-hand together at Notre Dame, where Alford was consistently the Fighting Irish’s top recruiter, and Peloquin had then risen to the role of director of player personnel, before even the concept of a collegiate general manager existed,” reported Football Scoop.
Alford knows how to identify elite backs early, and Peloquin knows how to build the infrastructure that closes them. So, Michigan can benefit heavily from this bond. Next in line is Tyler Stockton, who is in his first year coaching the safeties at Ann Arbor. Peloquin was instrumental in recruiting him from the New Jersey prep powerhouse, The Hun School, and recruited him to Notre Dame.
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Apart from them, Kyle Whittingham’s latest hire, defensive line coach Larry Black, also shared the sideline with Dave Peloquin in South Bend. Given that the current staff is already in sync with Peloquin, will this recruitment effort be successful?
