Utah names head coach-in-waiting for Kyle Whittingham

Tony Adame

Utah names head coach-in-waiting for Kyle Whittingham image

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has made it clear he’s not going to coach forever and even hinted that the 2024 season — his 20th as Utah’s head coach — might be his last. 

There’s now a definite plan in place for his successor, as ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on July 1 that Utah will tab defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley as the person who will eventually replace the legendary head coach. 

From Thamel: “Utah is naming defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley as the successor to longtime coach Kyle Whittingham. Scalley will make at least $5 million per year as head coach when he’s elevated, per his latest contract. There’s no set timetable for Whittingham to leave.” 

Scalley, 44 years old, was a two-time All-Mountain West Conference defensive back for Utah in the early 2000s and was the MWC Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. He has been on the Utah coaching staff since joining as a graduate assistant in 2007 and has been the defensive coordinator since 2016.

 

Tony Adame

Tony Adame Photo

Tony Adame covers the Big 12 Conference for The Sporting News. He is a graduate of Southern Oregon University and has been a sports journalist for 20 years. He has won APSE Awards for breaking news, games stories and feature writing. He is also the writer and host of the Florida Society of News Editors Award-winning podcast The Sheriff: Murder, Lies & Revenge in Okaloosa County for USA Today/Gannett.