Utah football is staying in-house to replace the program's all-time leader in wins. Longtime defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley will take over for Kyle Whittingham, who stepped down after serving more than two decades as head coach. The two sides finalized a deal on Saturday, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Scalley will assume the post after the Utes square off with Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl.
The Utah alum and former Second-Team All-American defensive back has been a team staff member since 2007, starting as a graduate assistant before eventually becoming DC in 2016. He understands what it means to represent the Utes and Salt Lake City, so it is not hard to see why athletic director Mark Harlan is placing his trust in Scalley.
The coaching carousel had already slowed down by the time Whittingham announce his decision, leaving the Utes with limited options. Even so, there are fans who will express concern about Scalley's qualifications for the job. Utah's defense was shaky this season. Despite ranking second in the Big 12 with 177.5 passing yards allowed per game, the team surrendered a whopping 182.8 rushing yards per game (third-worst in conference).
The Utes proved they could shut down quality opponents on occasion, holding Arizona State and Cincinnati to a combined 24 points in blowout victories, but they wobbled down the stretch. A 51-47 victory over a lackluster Kansas State squad did nothing to boost their already dying College Football Playoff hopes. Though, perhaps the squad will take on a different identity with Morgan Scalley at the helm.
Filling Kyle Whittingham's shoes will be mighty challenging — four seasons of 10 or more wins in the last seven years — but a Salt Lake City native is a practical choice for this transition era of Utah football. Before officially getting to work, Scalley will try to devise a game plan that will ruin New Year's Eve for the Cornhuskers.
