Utah’s Kyle Whittingham is unsure if he will return to lead the program in 2025 for a 21st season as head football coach.
Whittingham addressed his future in his press conference Monday.
“Obviously I’ll evaluate after the season is over, see what the situation is,” Whittingham said. “My decision will be made on what is best for the program, not what is best for me. It will depend entirely on how I believe this program will best benefit in the future.”
Whittingham, 65, has been Utah’s head coach since 2005. He joined the program in 1994 and previously worked as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator. He took over as head coach in 2005 after Urban Meyer led the Utes to back-to-back Mountain West championships, including a 12-0 campaign in 2004 that concluded with a victory over Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.
Meyer left Utah for Florida, leaving the program in Whittingham’s hands. Twenty seasons later, Whittingham is tied with Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy as the second-longest tenured coach in college football behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (26 years).
Whittingham has coached the Utes to a 166-86 record that includes seven seasons with 10+ wins and 17 seasons with a winning record. He coached Utah to another undefeated season in a 13-0 campaign in 2008 that ended with a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama.
Utah was not selected to play in that year’s BCS championship game in which Florida defeated Oklahoma for the national title. The Utes finished second in the final AP poll behind Florida (13-1) despite securing the only undefeated season in the FBS.
Utah took a step back this season and enters Saturday’s season finale against UCF with a 4-7 record and a seven-game losing streak. The Utes are 1-7 in Big 12 play in their first season in the conference. Every time Whittingham decides to retire, there is a succession plan.
Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley is the designated head coach-in-waiting and is expected to take over when Whittingham retires. Whittingham addressed Scalley’s role should he decide to return for another season.
“I can tell you now that Coach Scalley will be involved in future decisions,” Whittingham said. “It’s only fair that he does that because he is the coach in waiting. And when that time comes, we will make sure that he has contributed to the important decisions.
“It’s going to be a team effort as far as recruiting and that kind of stuff.”