Kyle Whittingham stands with Pac-12 players calling for change

The longest tenured head coach in the Pac-12, Utah's Kyle Whittingham has elected to stand with his players and the players in the conference in their quest for change both on and off the field

Entering his 17th season as head coach of Utah — and 10th in the Pac-12 — there isn't much that Kyle Whittingham hasn't seen or experienced.

But then came the 2020 college football, and with it all sorts of unimaginable experiences. 

First the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the nation and caused widespread panic regarding the upcoming college football season. Then the Pac-12 players elected to try and start a union regarding their own healthy and safety concerns — which was followed by support from other players throughout the country but malice from a lot of older, national pundits.

So how did Whittingham, the longest tenured coach in the conference, deal with all of the unprecedented changes? In the exact way many who now him would expect — with class and support for his players.

“College football is all about the players. I have a job because of players here. Our athletic director has a job because there are players here,” Whittingham said. “We can never lose sight of that, but they are the main focus. They’re what it’s all about and they are the show. We are in the entertainment business and they are the show.

“I’m hoping that they can make progress and maybe get a few things that are lacking for them right now,” he continued. “It’s a negotiation process and I’m sure that it’s going to be give-and-take.”

News broke a few weeks ago that Pac-12 players would opt out of any upcoming training camps and games unless the conference negotiates with them and reaches a legal agreement regarding health and safety practices, while also addressing issues of racial injustice and economic inequality.

“We’re not your entertainment, we’re human beings,” Oregon safety Jevon Holland told SI. “Just like you would help your family, we want to help our mother, father, grandmother, everyone. We don’t know the long-term risks. We have no idea how it’s going to affect our body regardless if we show symptoms or not. I refuse to put my health at risk for somebody else’s benefit.”

And while talks between the Pac-12 and the #WeAreUnited group initially broke down, Utah lineman Nick Ford, the representative for the Utes, has really taken on a leadership role within the Utes and the representative group.

“I am a spokesperson for the University of Utah athletes who believe in points on the list,” Ford said in a Twitter post. “I did it to lead those who want to have a voice at this university.”

Despite the disfunction between the #WeAreUnited group and the Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, Whittingham has been the key figure holding the Utes together. His unwavering support and willingness to speak on the matters throughout the country, especially regarding racism in America, has sustained the culture built around the Utes.

Although Whittingham knows that the biggest decisions to be made will ultimately come from the Pac-12's CEO group, it hasn't stopped him from speaking out on the matter. He understands that he has a voice as well and that's why he's one of the most regarded and respected coaches in the conference.

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Twitter — @UtahUtes_SI and Ryan Kostecka at @Ryan_Kostecka