As Kyle Whittingham enters his 20th season as the head coach of the Utah football program — and his 31st season with the program in general — it's fair to say that the Utes have enjoyed a Golden Age of sorts on his watch. Sure, it was Urban Meyer who led Utah to their only undefeated season back in 2004, but in the twenty years since then, Utah has still managed to win 67 percent of their contests. Very few programs have been as consistent as Utah, and that begins and ends with Whittingham, the program's all-time leader in wins.
But, as they say, all good things must come to an end, and the end is in sight for the 64-year-old Kyle Whittingham. On Monday morning, University of Utah Director of Athletics Mark Harlan made the announcement that while Whittingham will coach the Utes in 2024, the program has officially named long-time defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley their official Head Coach in Waiting, an agreement they reached back in November when Scalley renewed his contract with the program.
“Coach Whittingham has built Utah Football into one of the nation's elite programs through a strong culture, tradition and exceptional student-athletes, and he has been clear about his intentions of continuing to lead this incredible Utah Football program as we move into the Big 12 Conference and into the new expanded College Football Playoff,” Harlan said on Monday morning in a prepared statement. “However, we must plan for the future, and Coach Whittingham and I both strongly believe that that future lies with Morgan Scalley. He is an elite coach who has been trained by the best – Coach Whittingham – and whenever it is time for Morgan to take the helm, I have no doubt that our program will continue to have success.”
Mark Harlan's official announcement included a statement from Scalley, who will be going into his ninth season as the Utes defensive coordinator.
“Utah Football and Utah Athletics have always been home to me and my family, and I am honored to receive this distinction,” Scalley said. “I want to thank President Randall, Coach Whittingham and Mark Harlan for the trust they have shown in me, and I remain committed to my continued growth as a coach and person, and as a member of the amazing University of Utah community. Our staff is excited to start a new era of Utah Football in the Big 12 this fall under Coach Whittingham and to continue the traditions that have become a part of our proud history.”
In their first season in the Big 12, Utah is the current betting favorite to win the conference title.
Utah Utes are in capable hands with Morgan Scalley
Morgan Scalley's career with the Utah Utes began long before he was a coach. Scalley lettered for the Utes from 2001 to 2004, and was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and a second-team All-American during his senior season, a season in which he served as the captain of the only undefeated team in Utah history. At that time, Kyle Whittingham was the Utes' defensive coordinator, so he's worked closely with his eventual predecessor for well over two decades now.
“Morgan Scalley is an exceptional football coach and his naming as the head coach in waiting at the University of Utah is a testament to that,” said Whittingham on Monday. “It is a distinction he has earned not only because of his outstanding coaching abilities, but also because of his selfless dedication to the program as well as to the Utah Athletics family. The culture and tradition within Utah Football is a point of pride for our staff, and when the time comes for a transition in the leadership of our program, we know that Morgan will carry on those traditions the Utah Football way.”
Three years after finishing up his playing career, Scalley joined Kyle Whittingham's staff first as a Graduate Assistant, then as a safeties coach, and then finally, in 2016, as defensive coordinator. Consistently since then, the Utes have perennially been a top-tier defensive team, including during the 2019 season, when Utah finished second in total defense in the country.
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