Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
LAS VEGAS — For someone that hasn't retired from coaching, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham was forced to talk about his impending retirement ad nauseam Tuesday afternoon.
In the 10-plus media interviews Whittingham conducted as part of Big 12 media days at Allegiant Stadium, there was one question that everyone wanted to know: When was the longtime coach calling it quits.
It was a natural question given that Utah publicly released that defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley had been named "coach in waiting" as part of his new contract in November. As such, everyone wanted to know when such a transition would take place — even as Whittingham prepares for his 20th season as the school's head coach.
"I take it day-by-day," Whittingham said (and repeated throughout the day). "I'm as excited and enthused about the season as I've ever been. A lot of that is the excitement about going into a new conference, the new challenge, the new opportunity. But it's just going to be a day-by-day process. And I'm not getting any younger, but at the same time I feel I've got a lot of energy right now."
The 64-year-old coach plans to be at Utah for as long as the passion is still there. It's a passion that currently runs deep for Whittingham as he chases another conference title — an opportunity for one in three different conferences with the same team — and a potential berth in the newly constructed 12-team playoff.
He said the move to the Big 12 is like getting a new job, which provides an "energizing" aspect to coaching.
But he recognizes the ending is coming sooner than later. Though he's never set a date, he made mention that he likely won't be the head coach when Utah returns to Allegiant Stadium in 2027 to take part in a nonconference matchup against Miami.
"We're going to open here in '27 against the Miami Hurricanes. I probably won't be sitting here, but somebody will be, and that's going to be a great opportunity again to come to Vegas and play a game," he said.
Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said Whittingham is genuine in his response that it's a day-to-day decision.
"He's arguably the best to ever do it. And whenever he's ready, he'll let me know," Harlan said. "And I think he's very authentic and honest when he says it's day-to-day. But I'll tell you he's having a lot of fun. Despite all the challenges and the changes, he just continues to roll through it.
"Every time I'm around him he looks younger and has more energy, including flying yesterday. He was just actually so excited about coming here and being in this venue, which we all love."
Whenever the day comes that Whittingham hangs it up, though, Harlan said he feels confident in his replacement.
"Just really excited for the University of Utah to have somebody like coach Scalley on the staff," Harlan said. "This will be my seventh football season here, and I've had a chance to watch Morgan day in and day out — as a person, as a coach — and his leadership is extraordinary. So it just made perfect sense for us to formalize what had been really in my mind for a while.
"It's a blessing for the University of Utah to have somebody like that — as Whitt just described very well — who can continue on the culture and ethos of the program."
Whittingham, too, offered his full support behind Scalley, who enters his 17th season with the Utes, calling him 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, 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," Whittingham said. "He knows our culture inside and out.
"To me, it's very comforting for when that transition time does occur and it's time for new leadership to have a guy that's going to be able to carry on the values and the cultures that we've put in place. 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."
More importantly, though, Scalley also has the support of the players, who credit the defensive coordinator largely for Utah's culture and physicality on defense.
"That's our culture that coach Scalley has instilled in our defense that we try to live every day," defensive lineman Junior Tafuna said.
"I'm so happy for him; we're so happy," added linebacker Karene Reid. "I wish I would be around to see it. ... But the culture, the energy, the mentality, the defense that you guys all see all came from him. So don't be surprised when that spreads to the whole team when he becomes head coach."
Tafuna said the program will be in "great hands" with Scalley, who has been a "great defensive coordinator, great coach and a great friend" to him. And when the time comes for a change, Scalley will continue to expect accountability within the program — a lesson he learned from Whittingham.
"One of the things he does best is keeping everyone accountable, and that's what you've got to have as a good coach, let alone a head coach," Tafuna said. "If you let things slip, then your team's gonna be allowed to do whatever they want. But I think with Scalley — what coach Whitt has showed Scalley — is that there's no room for mistakes.
"And even though we will make those mistakes, you've gotta be held accountable. I think that's one of the greatest qualities that Scalley has done for us defensively and all around in all positions."
