Utah football rounds out coaching staff with former Utes, NFL players

The Utes have announced their assistant coaching staff

Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley has rounded out his coaching staff for his first full season at the helm of his alma mater. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The assistant coaches and analysts who make up Morgan Scalley's first-year staff were revealed by the Utah football program on Tuesday.

A couple of former Utes players, including one who went on to play in the NFL, and another staffer with a pro background are a part of the behind-the-scenes group that'll help prepare Utah leading up to and during the 2026 campaign.

Brandon Burton brings both an understanding of Scalley's expectations and the NFL with him to Salt Lake City as the team's assistant wide receivers coach. Burton once played for Scalley as a cornerback in the 2000s before playing at the professional level for four seasons. The former fifth round pick started his career with the Minnesota Vikings (2011-12) before making stops with the Buffalo Bills (2013), Cincinnati Bengals (2014) and Indianapolis Colts (2014).

Cornerback assistant coach Quincy Watkins is also very familiar with Scalley; the two were college teammates for a few seasons and members of Kyle Whittingham's staff prior to his departure at the end of the 2025 season. Watkins, a two-year letter winner at Utah from 2000-02, was a defensive graduate assistant who primarily worked with safeties before shifting into his new role.

Moving into Watkins' previous position is another former Utah defensive back: Jordan Fogal. The San Leandro, California, native and former walk-on appeared in 11 games with the Utes between 2015-16, earning two starts in his final season with the team after being put on scholarship in the fall of 2015.

Fogal returned to Salt Lake City to be the Utes' defensive quality control assistant, a role that entailed helping create weekly opponent scouts and practice plans.

Joining Fogal and Watkins on Colton Swan's defensive staff is Salt Lake City native and former NFL fullback Stanley Havili, who shifts into a role as a defensive tackles assistant after serving as one of the team's defensive quality control staffers. The former USC standout played with the Philadelphia Eagles (2011-12), Indianapolis (2013-14) and the Seattle Seahawks (2014).

Utah's assistant staff will coalesce with the team's coordinators and main position coaches to form Scalley's first-year coaching staff.

Here's a complete look at Utah's coaching staff.

Utah Coaching Staff

Offense

• Offensive coordinator: Kevin McGiven
• Quarterbacks coach: Ryan Gunderson
• Analyst/quarterback assistant: Ryan Blakney
• Offensive line coach: Jordan Gross
• Offensive line assistant: Alex Gerke
• Running backs coach: Mark Atuaia
• Running backs assistant: Kammy Delp
• Tight ends coach: Luke Wells
• Tight ends assistant: Marvin Philip
• Wide receivers coach: Chad Bumphis
• Wide receivers assistant: Brandon Burton

Defense

• Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach: Colton Swan
• Analyst: Vince Conti
• Safeties coach: Derrick Odom
• Safeties assistant: Jordan Fogal
• Cornerbacks coach/associate head coach/special teams coordinator: Sharrieff Shah
• Cornerbacks assistant: Quincy Watkins
• Defensive tackles coach: Luther Elliss
• Defensive tackles assistant: Stanley Havili
• Linebackers assistant: Ryan Nelson
• Defensive ends coach: Inoke Breckterfield
• Defensive ends assistant: Isaac Tillett
• Defensive quality control coaches: Will Hoge, AJ Pataialii

Special Teams

• Senior analyst/kickers and punters: Jake Cookus
• Analyst: Dom Conti