ORLANDO — As some Utah fans at FBC Mortgage Stadium chanted “Whittingham, Whittingham,” Ute head coach Kyle Whittingham walked off the field following his team’s 28-14 victory over UCF — the 167th of his career.
Will Friday night’s win be his last?
Following the conclusion of his team’s 5-7 season — just the third losing season in the 20-year Whittingham era — the longtime Utah coach was asked how he will approach his upcoming decision.
Will he hang up the whistle or return to lead Utah for a 21st season?
In the afterglow of Utah’s first win since September, Whittingham declined to comment.
“I don’t want to talk about that. That’s not about me. I don’t want to even bring that up. Let these guys enjoy this win. It’s all about our players tonight and just proud of ‘em, and I’d rather just leave it at that for tonight,” Whittingham said postgame.
In the coming week, or weeks, Whittingham will evaluate everything and make a decision on his future, but on Friday night, he simply wanted to celebrate his players as they snapped a seven-game losing streak.
To begin this week, Whittingham expounded on one of the most pivotal decisions the program has faced.
“My decision will be made on what’s best for the program, not what’s best for me,” Whittingham said. “So it’ll be completely determined on how I feel this program is best served going forward.”
Utah currently sits at a crossroads — especially on the offensive side of the ball — after one of the most disappointing seasons in school history. As a result, the upcoming offseason is one of the most intriguing in recent memory, starting with the hiring of a new offensive coordinator.
The process of hiring the school’s new offensive mind is already underway, and it’s one that involves both Whittingham and head-coach-in-waiting Morgan Scalley.
Utah hopes to complete the hire by Dec. 9, when the transfer portal opens.
“Very involved. Very involved. Yep, very involved, and it would be an injustice if he wasn’t, and so given our situation, he’s working side by side with me,” Whittingham said of Scalley’s input in the hiring process.
Thanks to the transfer portal, the rebuild process in college football can be sped up. Look at Arizona State, which brought in 30 transfers this season and went from 3-9 to 9-2 with a chance to win the Big 12 Conference.
Utah’s defense is a Top 30 unit in the nation, and if the Utes retain key players on both sides of the ball, bring in some impact players (including possibly a starting quarterback) and nail their offensive coordinator hire, they could be right in the thick of next year’s Big 12 race.
Does Whittingham want to try to lead a one-season turnaround, then hand the program off to Scalley?
On the other hand, this year could serve as a natural breaking point. After 20 seasons under Whittingham’s watch, Scalley could get to rebuild the program in his own way, leading the program into a new era.
The decision is Whittingham’s, and he’ll do what he feels benefits the program.
Regardless of if Whittingham retires or comes back for the 2025 season, one thing is for sure — Friday was the final time this senior class is coached by him.
Luke Bottari, the fifth-string quarterback who has been counted on to close out Utah’s regular season for the last two years due to injuries, called Utah’s coach a “legend.”
“(He’s) been doing this for a long time. He’s always done more with less in a sense. He’s a legend. That’s all I got,” Bottari said. “Personally. I love him. He gave me the opportunity to come into this program and come back, so I just thank him for that opportunity. Yeah, he’s a legend.”
Running back Micah Bernard, who finished his career by eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards this season, concurred.
“For me, coach Whitt, he means a lot. Just like (Bottari) said, he’s a legend and he knows a lot about football, he knows a lot about life, he knows a lot about everything,” Bernard said.
“Just to have him, just be by his side, just be a part of his journey, whether it’s coming to the end or not, it feels good just to know that we did end it off with a W.”
