Longtime Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham unsure if he’ll return for 21st season

Kyle Whittingham will decide about his future at Utah after this season is over. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Utah’s Kyle Whittingham is unsure if he’ll return to coach the program in 2025 for a 21st season as head football coach.

Whittingham addressed his future in his news conference Monday.

“I will obviously evaluate after the season’s over, see what the situation is,” Whittingham said. “My decision will be made on what’s best for the program, not what’s best for me. It’ll be completely determined on how I feel this program is best served going forward.”

Whittingham, 65, has been the head coach at Utah since 2005. He joined the program in 1994 and previously worked as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator. He took over as head coach in 2005 after Urban Meyer led the Utes to consecutive Mountain West championships including a 12-0 2004 campaign that concluded with a win over Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.

Meyer left Utah for Florida, leaving the program in Whittingham’s hands. Twenty seasons later, Whittingham is tied with Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy as the second-longest tenured coach in college football behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (26 years).

Whittingham has coached the Utes to a 166-86 record that includes seven 10-plus win seasons and 17 seasons with a winning record. He coached Utah to another undefeated season in a 13-0 2008 campaign that ended with a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama.

Utah was not selected to play in that year’s BCS championship game that saw Florida defeat Oklahoma for the national title. The Utes finished No. 2 in the final AP poll behind Florida (13-1) despite securing the only undefeated season in the FBS.

Utah took a step back this season and enters Saturday’s season finale against UCF with a 4-7 record and on a seven-game losing streak. The Utes are 1-7 in Big 12 play in their first season in the conference. Whenever Whittingham decides to step away, a succession plan is in place.

Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley is the designated head coach in waiting and is expected to take over whenever Whittingham retires. Whittingham addressed Scalley’s role in the event that he decides to return for another season.

“I can tell you right now that coach Scalley will be involved in decisions going forward,” Whittingham said. “It’s only right that he does that because he’s the coach in waiting. And when that time comes, we’ll make sure he’s had input on big decisions.

“It’ll be a team effort as far as hiring recruiting and that type of thing.”