When Kyle Whittingham took over for Urban Meyer as the University of Utah’s football coach, the undefeated Utes had a lot of good things going for them.
And Whittingham had the good sense not to tear the program down to the studs just so that he could rebuild it in his own image.
“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” the longtime head coach said last week. “You know, we hung on to a lot of the stuff that Urban did here.”
And as No. 15 Utah prepares for defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley to take over next year, the program’s first coaching change in more than two decades, Whittingham and his players expect continuity to once again be the guiding principle.
“His culture ideas and my culture ideas align perfectly,” Whittingham said. “We both have a lot of the same recruiting strategies and thoughts, evaluation-wise, how you go, how you navigate the portal, all that stuff. It’s very consistent. And I think that there’s going to be far more similarities than change.”
Then Whittingham added: “Now, he’ll put his own stamp on the program — make no mistake.”
Scalley, who has spent the entirety of his adult life either as a player, assistant or coach at the University of Utah, will take charge of the Utes after the Las Vegas Bowl on New Year’s Eve. And he credits Whittingham for preparing him for this moment.
“I am forever indebted to him for believing in me and giving me opportunity after opportunity to grow in this profession,” Scalley said in a statement when he was named Utah’s next head coach. “He has mentored me, inspired me, and given me a vision for the future of the Utah Football Program, and I am ready and excited to see it through.”
Scalley’s players have voiced their support for their new leader while saying goodbye to Whittingham.
“Man, that’s a legend. I’ve got a lot of respect for him,” quarterback Devon Dampier said of Whittingham. “He’s transformed this program. He’s made it perfect for Scalley to step in.”
The junior said he has already discussed the future with Scalley.
“I’m very confident in Scalley,” Dampier said. “When I came here on my visit, that was someone I talked to. He let me know the rundown. When his time comes, he has full belief in me and my talents.”
Utah senior linebacker Lander Barton expects the transition to be seamless.
“I think there’s going to be no change really,” he said. “It’s just going to continue right on. Coach Scalley is a great coach. I’m excited for him.”
The 46-year-old Scalley has waited for his opportunity. He was first named the Utes’ “head coach in waiting” in 2019.
And Whittingham, in explaining his decision to step down now, said he didn’t want to overstay his welcome at Utah.
“Coach has been here a lot of years,” Whittingham said of his successor. “He’s a Utah man through and through, and it’s going to be a good situation.”