Utah Head Coach Morgan Scalley on Taking Over for Kyle Whittingham | Sports Illustrated

Brian Fisher here for Sports Illustrated here at Big 12 Media Day joined now by new Utah head coach Morgan Scally.

The new still, still getting used to that, or yeah, it's, I mean, I've been it for a few months now.

Early on it was crazy, but now I think once spring hit and we were out on the football field, it felt normal.

I mean, this is something that it's been a long process to get here.

How much have you been thinking about it and what, what's reality been like that, that's been different for you?

Well, I, it's something that um You know, throughout your career, you're trying to do different things and you end up having different goals.

I think being a, becoming a head coach was something that midway through, I, I, I felt like, OK, that's something that I would want to aspire to.

And I knew that there were certain things that I wasn't gonna be able to learn about that position until I was in the seat, but I was definitely, you know, taking advantage of learning from an unbelievable head coach in Kyle Whittingham, as well as, you know, defensive coordinators that were great with Kehlaniittake, John Pease, um, guys that I'd worked with throughout the years, Gary Anderson.

So, um, I've been fortunate to, to, I have coached with and underneath some amazing men and coaches and just got to the point where I was like, you know, I, I felt ready for the opportunity.

When it, when it comes to actually putting your imprint on the program, has there been anything you, you've tweaked or changed that you felt was pretty notable?

Yeah , yeah, there's different things just from, you know, an offseason lifting conditioning standpoint, and I, I, you know, I, I keep telling people, I think the recipe to win is the same.

It's just maybe how How the meals prepared a little bit differently, so.

Definitely have to have your own personality and, and be true to who you are, uh, otherwise the players won't buy into you.

I mean, Kyle spent obviously, you know, two decades plus there.

I mean, do you, you feel like you almost do have to change some things though to, to make sure that is your program now?

Well, I, uh, change for change sake is not necessarily good .

Uh, I mean, there's certain things that, that will never change because it's what it takes to win football games, the level of physicality and complementary football, um, but like you said, it's gotta be my personality.

Um, and there's tweaks and changes that are made.

That I feel are, you know, could help improve the program, but ultimately it's just a matter of who my, you know, who I am, my personality shining through to our football players.

I mean, this is a league where it seems like everything comes down to the 4th quarter, a play here or a play there.

Like, are you most excited to embrace those challenges of being on the headset in those key moments?

Yeah, I, I mean, ultimately, it's how you prepare your football players.

It's players that win games, you know, coaches.

We prepare them, we get them to, to that point, but ultimately it's them and it's their behavior that matters.

Uh, this is a league that presents a ton of challenges.

There's a lot of parity.

10 of the 16 ended up being bowl eligible last year.

Of the 6 that weren't 3 were within a game of bowl eligibility.

Uh, I think 30+ games were decided by, by one score or less.

So, ultimately, it's, you know, it's, it's hard to win in college football, uh, particularly, you know, week after week after week, you got to stay healthy, you have to have some things bounce your way.

But it's a great league to be a part of.

Have you, have you seen a change, especially as a defensive guy, looking at the offenses, you know, we, we would have said this is an air raid league, you know, 5 or 10 years ago.

It seems like there has been maybe more this is on the run, certainly some stylistic changes.

Have you noticed a big change in the Big 12 in terms of just the overall philosophy ?

Not necessarily, I mean, we've been in just a few years, so it's still, still some teams that we haven't haven't played, you know.

Um, but I would say, you know, coming from the, the Pac-12, the level of physicality has, has stayed the same.

It seems like each year there's gonna be, Different things that you that you see, you know what's the.

The formation of the year that people buy into or a, uh, you know, or a play or something like that .

But, uh, to win and win at this level, you have to be physical, you know.

And so having the offensive line, defensive line to do that and, and to have a, a quarterback, I think what's interesting about this league, the quarterbacks, so many of them, are dual threat.

So many of them can beat you running the ball.

So there's a lot of, you know, probably more so in this league than in, than in the Pac-12 when we're in the Pac-12, you're seeing a lot more quarterback designed runs, coordinators that are willing to run the quarterback.

Uh, and, and guys that are physically prepared for that.

Let me dive and dip here, one of, one of the best at, at certainly doing that.

Where, where's the growth gonna come from, from last year to this year for him?

Well, I'm excited for him to be healthy, you know, he played, I think, more than half the season, not at 100%.

Uh, that just goes to show you how tough he is and what a competitor he is.

So that and the continued development of the quarterback position, you're always learning, always finding ways to improve where you're deficient.

You know, we've got Ryan Gunderson, our quarterback coach, and Kevin McGiven, who are awesome at developing quarterbacks.

They've done a great job, not only with Devin, but with Bird, and some of our younger quarterbacks as well.

Stylistically, what, what's going to change from Jason Beck to those guys?

I would, I would say not much necessarily stylistically.

I would say maybe the bodies that you see.

We had a, a, a good influx, uh, of wide receivers, uh, B, you know, Braden Pagan being one of them, Kyrie Shoals, Ricky Johnson, guys that came in from different programs, as well as guys that we've developed.

Larry Simmons, uh, is a guy that, that produced a lot for us last year on the back half of the season, Creed Whitmore.

Or Deidre Zipper.

We've got guys at that position , Tobias Merriweather that I don't know that we've had in a long time at the University of Utah.

When it comes to going into fall camp in a couple of weeks, is there one position group that you're going to keep your eye on just in terms of see how they develop going into the season?

It's all about the offensive line, you know, replacing those, those 5.

And we've got guys that are hungry, that are excited for that moment.

You saw a lot of what they could do, some of those backups, uh, in the bowl game last year against Nebraska, and now it's their time to shine.

We've got an unbelievable offensive line coach in, in Jordan Gross, an assistant line coach, and Alex Gherke.

They've got those guys ready.

They've had, uh, uh, a fantastic offseason in the, in the weight room, so.

It's, you know, ultimately, you got to play the game.

Is there a name that maybe we're not talking about, we're not talking about in Salt Lake City that, you know what, come, come this fall, they are going to be a household name there?

Oh, man, I would, I would say, uh, Zaraway Williams.

He's, he's one of those guys that's replacing one of those offensive tackles.

He is relentless in his preparation, his work ethic, and getting ready for this moment.

He's a guy that has developed throughout his time at the University of Utah.

Now it's his time to show.

So we're excited for him.

You've, uh, you've walked out of that tunnel onto the field as, as a player there at Rice Eccles, as, as an assistant.

What's it, what are the emotions?

What's it gonna feel like doing it as head coach?

Uh, I don't know that it'll be much different.

Uh, you know, ultimately, it's, it's, it's about the players.

It's about them.

Um, and, you know, I have a love for this university that, that lasts as long as I've been alive, essentially, you know, I've been a ute, so.

Um, just excited for this product and for our fans to be able to see what, what this culture is all about.

Do you feel like, uh, you know, will, will your wife be more, a little more emotional than you at this point, or, or what's, I don't know.

Yeah, I mean, it's, it's, uh, it's just a different role.

I'm no more important than, than anyone else in the program.

I just have a different role.

Well, exciting times there in Salt Lake.

Morgan, thank you so much for stopping by here with Sports Illustrated at Big 12 Media Days.