- Morgan Scalley, Utah's new head coach, emphasizes culture and team unity.
- Scalley succeeds Kyle Whittingham, focusing on winning and maintaining Utah's identity.
- Players support Scalley, believing in their potential for Big 12 success.
FRISCO, Texas — Morgan Scalley is simply himself.
That much was apparent in his first Big 12 media day appearance as a new head coach.
The lifelong Utah fan who has worked his way through various roles at his beloved alma mater was a natural on Wednesday. Wearing a tan suit, Scalley flashed a confident smile and an energetic personality, ready to answer any question that came his way with poise and professionalism.
He looked and acted like someone who has been preparing for the opportunity for years.
And though the focus, at times, was about him taking over for Kyle Whittingham after a two-decade run — a natural inquisition after such a long stint at one place — Scalley made it clear he was solely focused on the future of his team and what they're building in Salt Lake City.
"We're out to win games, and there's a certain recipe that you have to follow to win those games," Scalley said. "I'm not out to prove anything other than that the culture matters."
"I just try and be me," he later added. "I feel like if you're not passionate about something, then why are you doing it?"
That passion has carried throughout his already short tenure — from his first win as head coach at the Las Vegas Bowl to his introductory press conference, to his first spring camp and Big 12 media day on Wednesday.
But all that was built before he took over as head coach.
"I started with coach Scalley after that bowl game," star running back Wayshawn Parker said. "I shed a couple tears, and he sat right next to me and he embraced me and made sure that I feel welcome and that I'm going to accomplish what I need to accomplish this year."
It's a head coach who has rallied around his players in a unique way to show each they're loved within the system and not just as a number on the roster. In return, they've buoyed him up as a first-time coach and they work together in his first season.
There will be pressure, especially with a standard of high expectations at Utah. But it's something Scalley and the players believe they're uniquely qualified to pursue together in an effort to raise the ceiling of how things are done at Utah.
"Utah football has had a brand that's very recognizable," Scalley said. "It's a physical brand, and it's very family-oriented. I don't know that I want to necessarily change that recipe for success. ... If you ask anyone in our building what's your culture, they will tell you RSNB — relentless, smart, nasty, ballhawks — and that's just a way of playing and a way of living that I hope defines what we do on the football field."
"I think this is the first year of the new era of Utah — that's what we're calling it — and the first time Scalley gets to be the head coach," starting quarterback Devon Dampier said. "I think there's a lot of pressure for us coming into this year, but nothing we can't handle. I think the way Scalley's came in, the way our team's buying in, just the way the summer has been — a lot of player-led things — just feels like we're coming together as a team.
"I'm pretty excited just to kick off the new era of Utah football."
It's the same Utah bones, but an energized version with Scalley at the helm. It's a coach who has been the same from the time he stepped foot in the door at Utah.
"Scalley has been the same person since he recruited me from New Mexico. ... Scalley was my visit person. And since that day, I've never seen him change up the loyalty, the love, the belief, the confidence," Dampier said. "That's never changed through him; and if anything, I've seen more of that when times were tough for me. He came through every single time, and just the amount of effort he's put to make me feel like I belong here has been crazy. And then that follows the staff."
To Scalley, it all comes down to culture and building something that is bigger than one individual person.
"Culture is what you believe, it's how you behave based on that belief, and it's the experience that's delivered by that behavior," Scalley said. "So it's what we practice every day. It's not just words on walls, it's not just some great creative acronym; it's a way of life, and you have to practice it every day when you see the behavior that you're asking for from your players and your staff. You promote it — promote the heck out of it.
"Yeah, love it! You promote it, and then you don't permit anything that's counter to that culture. I don't care if you're a first-year freshman walk on to a fifth-year senior that's going to be a draft pick. Everyone has to be held to the same standard, and our guys have bought into the culture. I'm very excited for it to show up on the football field."
It's not Whittingham's way; it's not even Scalley's way. It's the Utah way — a collective effort to commit to the team's goal of winning the Big 12 and having a chance to play in the College Football Playoff.
