Orlando, Fla. • Kyle Whittingham draped an arm over his wife, Jamie, and trudged through the rain-soaked grass of FBC Mortgage Stadium.
When they reached the edge of the field, the legendary Utah coach held back his emotions as he waved to the group of singing Ute fans perched over the tunnel. Then Whittingham made his exit.
Where the legendary Ute coach goes next is the biggest question in Utah sports.
The Utes’ season-ending 28-14 win over the UCF Knights, a victory that ended a seven-game losing streak, could very well be the last game of Whittingham’s storied career. He has said he is unsure whether he’ll return next season and that he will make a decision in the coming days and weeks.
On Friday night, though, Whittingham directed his focus to his team and the program he’s built since taking over for Urban Meyer two decades ago.
“I don’t want to talk about that,” Whittingham said when asked about his plans for next season. “It’s not about me. I don’t want to bring that up. Let these guys enjoy this win. It’s all about our players tonight, and just proud of them, and I’d rather just leave it at that for tonight.”
(John Raoux | AP) Utah cornerback Smith Snowden (2) celebrates after intercepting a Central Florida pass for a touchdown with teammates safety Rabbit Evans (13) and cornerback Cameron Calhoun (4) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Orlando, Fla.
So the Utes’ brutal losing streak and the most difficult year of Whittingham’s career ends.
And the mystery of the Hall of Fame coach’s future continues.
In some moments, including the lead-up to Friday’s against UCF, Whittingham has appeared like a coach on his way out, ready to bask in the unknowns of what life will look like after football.
Other times, he’s looked ready to take a crack at a 21st season. When ESPN 700 asked Whittingham after the game about the future of the program, the coach talked as if it would, indeed, be his team next season.
He chatted about everything from high school recruits to Utah’s offensive coordinator search to preparing for the opening of the transfer portal.
“We had meetings with a bunch of guys this past week,” Whittingham said on the radio. “We’re already determining our needs for next season. … You’ve got to wait and see who enters the portal before you start recruiting anybody.”
With that being said, he’s also included defensive coordinator and head coach-in-waiting Morgan Scalley in the process of putting together next year’s 2025 roster. Scalley has been integral in the search for Andy Ludwig’s replacement for next season, Whittingham has said. They’ve also informed incoming recruits about Whittingham’s potential retirement and how Scalley would take over the program if Utah’s head coach does decide to hang it up.
Given the timing of the college football offseason’s key dates, one would assume Whittingham’s decision will come soon. But it’s also possible that having Scalley in place is enough assurance for the 65-year-old to decide on his timeline.
No one knows for certain.
His legacy, however, is undeniable.
Since Whittingham took over the program in 2004, he has led the Utes an undefeated season and a memorable Sugar Bowl victory, a pair of Pac-12 Championships and two Rose Bowl appearances, 167 wins and, most notably, 17 winning seasons.
“I think he’s a legend,” senior quarterback Luke Bottari said after Friday’s game. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. He’s always done more with less, in a sense. He’s a legend. I mean, that’s all I got. 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.”
Senior running back Micah Bernard shared a high praise of Utah’s head coach, as well.
“Coach Whitt, he means a lot to me,” Bernard said. “He’s a legend, and he knows a lot about football. He knows a lot about life. He knows a lot about everything and just to have him and be by his side, just be part of his journey — whether it comes to an end or not — it feels good just to know that we did end it off with a win.”
It was just a few weeks ago that Whittingham said he was in the “Twilight Zone” following a blowout loss to Colorado. The fate of this season has been the opposite of everything the Utes and Whittingham imagined. Injuries, especially at the quarterback position, piled up for a second consecutive season. Utah started the season as the favorite to win the Big 12, only to end the season with two wins in the conference.
Utah quarterback Luke Bottari (15) throws a pass as he is pressured by Central Florida defensive end Daylan Dotson, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Whittingham expected his first berth into the 12-team College Football Playoff. Instead, he suffered through his first seven-game losing streak, the longest skid of his head coaching career.
Even then, the head coach’s confidence in his team never wavered.
“You certainly want to go out with a win rather than the alternative,” Whittingham said. “But it does give you some momentum going into the offseason and a positive feeling.
“It’s still far away from where we wanted to be. There were a lot of circumstances this year that contributed to that, but we were very positive and proud of our guys, mainly for hanging in there. Because after you start having week after week of no success, a lot of teams are just cashing in and just not even giving any effort. These guys just continue to give great effort every single day.”
That’s why — when asked about his impending decision — he focused again on his players.
For weeks, Whittingham has told his players to “Fight through adversity.”
As Friday night came to an end, Utah’s head coach told his players, “You earned this.”
“Very rewarding to see them have a chance to have some positive fruits from their labors,” Whittingham said. “They’ve been working hard week after week, and not much to show for it. For them to show the character and the resiliency and the ability to handle adversity and come back and for one more time together and put together a game like that, was very positive for us. For them.”
That was the last answer Whittingham provided the reporters, before walking off with his wife, his son Tyler Whittingham, and a few other people. As the buses filled up with equipment and players gathered their things for the trip home, Whittingham slowly meandered through the concourse of UCF’s stadium.
As the stadium fully emptied and the lights shone onto the beaten-up field, Whittingham, with his hands tucked into the pockets of his black jacket and a few members of his family by his side, strolled onto the waterlogged grass one more time.
He took a few moments on the empty field to take a few pictures with his wife as members of his family watched on.
After finishing his photo op, Utah’s head coach exited the stadium with his family by his side.
Maybe, in the empty stadium at the close of the worst season of his career, Whittingham got a picture-perfect ending after all.
Or maybe, as he ponders his future, it will simply be a snapshot to end a chapter and not an era.
That answer lies with him at the moment.
