Kyle Whittingham‘s coaching career isn’t over yet.
The 66-year-old Utah head coach stepped down after 21 seasons earlier this month, but an exchange with local media on Thursday revealed the longtime coach considers himself in the market for another coaching job.
Utah promoted defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley to head coach following Whittingham’s resignation earlier this month. Scalley joined the staff in 2007 and has served as DC for the past 10 seasons.
Whittingham’s words strayed far from that of retirement in an interview shared by Dana Greene of ABC 4 News in Salt Lake City.
“I don’t know that it’s ever out of your system,” Whitttingham said on Thursday. “It’s in your blood. When you’ve got the coaching in your body, it just doesn’t go away.”
He continued:
“I’m a free agent, I’m in the transfer portal. Like I said, I’m at peace and I did not want to be that guy that overstayed his welcome with people just saying, ‘Hey, when’s this guy gonna leave?’ That was not my intention, ever. I hope I didn’t do that. I’m sure with some people, I did do that, but, the timing to me, the timing is right.”
It’s safe to assume Whittingham would sit down with just about anyone, and given his resume (a proven NFL Draft pipeline, two Pac-12 championships, two Rose Bowl appearances, and an undefeated 13-0 run capped by upsetting Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl), there’s reason to believe he’d be a legitimate candidate for the newly opened Michigan job.
In 21 seasons, Whittingham went 177-88 at Utah (9-9 in the Big 12).
Utah finished the season 10-2 and third in the Big 12, with those two losses against Texas Tech (34-10) and in-state rival BYU (24-21). Tech later outshowed BYU 34-7 in the Big 12 Championship in Arlington to secure its place as the No. 4 seed with a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.
Utah takes on Nebraska in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 31, in Las Vegas.
