A look at Utah head coach Morgan Scalley's first-year coaching staff

A rundown of all the hires Morgan Scalley and the Utes made following the 2025 season

Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley spent the week after his first career win building his coaching staff for the 2026 season. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With the transfer portal looming and staff changes inevitable, Morgan Scalley made it clear after his first career win as a head coach that Utah was going into the offseason prepared and ready.

"If people don't think that we've already been planning, already been looking for the next step, then they don't know us," Scalley said after a 44-22 victory over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl. "We will be prepared for whatever is to come, and we are excited for those that want to be Utes."

In the days following the conclusion of the 2025 season, Scalley's vision for the Utes' future came to fruition.

While acquiring new talent through the portal would be a lengthier process, assembling a coaching staff in the wake of Kyle Whittingham's departure to Michigan seemingly happened in the blink of an eye for Utah, which made six hires and one promotion in the week that ensued its victory over the Cornhuskers.

Those moves were made possible with the departures of six positional coaches, including the Utes' offensive coordinator. As one after another agreed to follow Utah's former head coach to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to be a part of his first season at the helm of the Wolverines, it felt like a massive blow to everything the program had built over the past year.

The members of Utah's 2025 coaching staff leaving Salt Lake City to follow Whittingham included:

• Jason Beck (offensive coordinator)
• Freddie Whittingham (tight ends coach)
• Koy Detmer Jr. (quarterbacks coach)
• Micah Simon (wide receivers coach)
• Jim Harding (offensive line coach)
• Lewis Powell (defensive ends coach)

When looking at the glass half-full, the exodus of former Utah coaches allowed Scalley the chance to reshape the program however he saw fit, starting with the mentors he wanted tutoring the Utes from the sidelines.

"In this game, where 30-40% of your roster is going to change every year, you want great teachers so that when those kids come in, they get them to learn," Scalley said during his introductory press conference. "We're about developing great men. So, this is what you're going to see from this staff."

Being a head-coach-in-waiting worked in Scalley's favor, considering the years he spent as a defensive coordinator gave him time to jot down names of positional coaches he'd bring on to his staff if he were ever given the opportunity.

Once his turn to take over Utah came, the 46-year-old Salt Lake City native put those established connections and the intel he'd received over time to use, building what amounted to eight positional coaches (four on offense, four on defense) and two coordinators serving in their respective roles for the first time at Utah.

Morgan Scalley's 2026 Coaching Staff

List does not include analysts, graduate assistants or front office members

Offense

• Offensive coordinator: Kevin McGiven
• Offensive line: Jordan Gross
• Running backs: Mark Atuaia
• Tight ends: Luke Wells
• Wide receivers: Chad Bumphis

Defense

• Defensive coordinator/linebackers: Colton Swan
• Cornerbacks/special teams coordinator: Sharrieff Shah
• Defensive ends: Inoke Breckterfield
• Defensive tackles: Luther Elliss
• Safeties: Derrick Odum

It remained unclear who would be designated as the Utes' quarterbacks coach — whether McGiven would take on that responsibility in addition to being the offensive coordinator, or if the role would go to one of the team's offensive analysts.