Tyrone Wheatley is stepping away from his position as head football coach at Wayne State after three seasons.
The former Michigan running back resigned Tuesday after going 5-28 over his three-year tenure. The Division II program reached its low point in 2025 under Wheatley, finishing 0-11 while being outscored 439-129.
Wheatley coached running backs at Syracuse University from 2010 to 2012. He then coached running backs for the Buffalo Bills for the next two years.
Wayne State has promoted Terrence Isaac, who recently agreed to join Wheatley’s staff as offensive coordinator, to head coach. Isaac spent the last four seasons at Rochester (Minn.) Community and Technical College.
“As head football coach, I accept full responsibility for the program and the standards that come with this role,” Wheatley said in a statement. “After thoughtful reflection, I have decided to step down, believing this is the right decision for the student-athletes and the university. I am sincerely grateful to our players, coaching and support staff, alumni, and supporters for their dedication and belief -- it has been a privilege to serve this community.”
Wayne State’s decision to hire Wheatley, a former star athlete at Dearborn Heights Robichaud who went on to have a standout career at Michigan, was widely celebrated at the time given his connections to the area and his experience as a college and NFL coach.
But after a 3-8 season in 2023, the team took a step back each of the next two seasons.
The 54-year-old Wheatley, who was the Big Ten offensive player of the year in 1992, had former coaching stops as running backs coach with the Denver Broncos (2022), Jacksonville Jaguars (2017-18), Michigan (2015-16), Buffalo Bills (2013-14), Syracuse (2010-12) and Eastern Michigan (2009). He also had a three-year stint as head coach at Morgan State from 2019-21.
“We thank Tyrone for his leadership and commitment to the success of our student-athletes over the past three years,” Wayne State athletic director Erika Wallace said in a statement. “We are fortunate to have someone of Terrence Isaac’s caliber to guide our program forward, while continuing to support our student-athletes and the standards we expect at Wayne State.”
Wayne State last had a winning season in 2019, when it finished 8-3.