This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham paid compliments today to former coach Ron McBride, who is stepping down as Weber State's coach. McBride coached the Utes from 1990-2002 and finished with a record of 88-63. "What a career he has had," Whittingham said. "He did a lot of great things throughout his career, nothing maybe greater than what he did at the University of Utah, resurrecting the program and putting them back on the map and positioning it so we were able to take it to the next level. Really he was instrumental in the University of Utah getting to the Pac-12." Whittingham called McBride a 'masterful recruiter,' noting he had a great personality that allowed him to relate well to recruits. "I learned a great deal about recruiting from coach Mac," said Whittingham, who served as McBride's defensive coordinator. "That is a strong suit of his and really that is what football is all about, so that is a good strong suit to have." As expected, Utah offensive coordinator Norm Chow downplayed Saturday's game against the Bruins when asked following Tuesday's practice. "It's another game," Chow said when asked if Saturday's game meant anything special to him. "I am too old for all that. It's another game that these guys have to win to be bowl eligible and I'm serious about that." - Lya Wodraska