At his regular weekly press conference on Monday, Kyle Whittingham offered an update on his future amid the 2024 season will be his last.
Whittingham told reporters he will make a decision after the season, and will do so with the best interest of the program in mind.
Kyle Whittingham just said he will evaluate his future after the season, his decision will be about what's best for the program, not himself.
— Steve Bartle (@BartleKSLsports) November 25, 2024
Kyle Whittingham says he will make his decision about coaching next year based on what is best for the program, not what's best for him. @Utah_Football @OCShow801 @ESPN700
— Sean O'Connell (@realOCsports) November 25, 2024
Of note: "After the season" is an open-ended timeline that begins Friday night. Utah, 4-7 on the season, concludes the 2024 campaign at UCF on Friday (8 p.m. ET, Fox).
Riding a 7-game losing streak, Utah has endured the worst of Whittingham's 20 seasons on the job. Five of the Utes' seven losses came by one score; Utah surrendered 10 fourth quarter points to lose 17-14 to Houston, blew a 21-10 halftime lead to rival BYU, and allowed a 75-yard touchdown drive late to fall 31-28 to Iowa State on Saturday.
If Utah loses to UCF on Friday, the Utes will endure their most setbacks in a single season since 1989.
The question is not if Whittingham has lost a step. Utah went a combined 20-8 with Pac-12 championships and Rose Bowl appearances in 2021 and '22, and went 8-5 in 2023. The struggles this season can be traced back to quarterback Cam Rising's inability to remain healthy for more than a couple games at a time (as well as Utah's neglect at securing a backup plan through the portal.)
At 65 year old, the question is if Whittingham wants to continue coaching. Utah appointed longtime defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley as its head-coach-in-waiting, and Whittingham said this summer he did not intend to coach past 65. From ESPN back in July:
Whittingham has 10 grandchildren ranging from 3 months to 8 years old. He has previously said he wouldn't coach beyond age 65, and he turns 65 on Nov. 21. Scalley, 44, played defensive back at Utah when Whittingham served as a Utes assistant, and has spent his entire coaching career at his alma mater, serving as defensive coordinator since 2016.
Whittingham is the second-longest tenured active FBS head coach. The third-longest, Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy, affirmed his desire to return for 2025, as did 73-year-old Mack Brown. (It's generally understood 69-year-old Kirk Ferentz will outlast 34-year-old Kenny Dillingham.)
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.