With optimism surrounding the Utah Utes football program fading quickly in 2024, head coach Kyle Whittingham addressed the elephant in the room at a recent press conference.
On Monday, Whittingham mentioned that he will decide what’s best for the program next year, even if that means him stepping aside.
While Whittingham has been universally loved during his time with the Utes, the team has already appointed a head coach in waiting. That future HC is current defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley, who was named the HCIW back in July.
Back at Big 12 Football Media Days in Las Vegas, Whittingham was asked for his thoughts on the newly appointed Scalley, saying, “First of all, Morgan Scalley is an exceptional football coach. He’s a proven commodity. He’s a Utah guy, played high school ball in the state of Utah, played at Utah, and jumped right into coaching at the University of Utah when he was done playing. He’s invested in this program as much as anybody ever has been.”
One main storyline to follow this offseason at Utah hinges on which up-and-coming coach is hired to run the offense. The program elected to move Andy Ludwig out away from playcalling duties due to his continued struggles, and now the decision falls in the lap of Whittingham and Scalley.
“Now, that’s not to say he won’t put his own stamp on it, because I fully expect that, but I believe that he is the right choice,” Whittingham continued. “We have a lot of good coaches on our staff, guys that are going to be head coaches in the near future that are deserving as well. But for this program at this time, Morgan is the right fit.”
Utah returns to action one last time in 2024 on Friday, November 29th, vs. UCF at 7:00 p.m. CT.
