This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated.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 athletic director Chris Hill emphasized Monday his decision to give Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham a raise wasn't in reaction to any schools who might try to lure away his coach, but simply a result of what Hill believes he must do to keep Utah at a level consistent with other schools in the Pac-12 in the coaching salary arms race. Whittingham, who has been mentioned as a possible target for Arizona State and Penn State, agreed to a contract amendment two weeks ago with Utah that increases his salary from $1.7 million to $2 million. He also received a year extension on his contract to five years. "We did what is fair," Hill said. "He has done a good job and we want to make sure we keep him competitive. We're a member of the Pac-12 now and not a second-class citizen. That might still be a cultural shift for people, but we are building a new facility and we are doing what we need to do to be competitive and what is right for the staff." - Lya Wodraska