Utah's Kyle Whittingham steps down as head coach

Utes head coach leaves the program as Utah's all-time wins leader

Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham will retire at the end of the 2025 season. | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Kyle Whittingham announced Friday he’s stepping down as head coach of the Utah football team.

The all-time winningest head coach in the program’s history will conclude his 21-year tenure in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31. 

"The time is right to step down from my position as the head football coach at the University of Utah," Whittingham said in a news release. "It's been an honor and a privilege to lead the program for the past 21 years and I'm very grateful for the relationships forged with all the players and assistant coaches that have worked so hard and proudly worn the drum and feather during our time here.”

Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley will step in as the Utes’ next head coach, starting with the 2026 season.

Going into the 2025 campaign, Whittingham said last season’s disappointing 5-7 finish was why he couldn’t walk away from the game at the conclusion of the 2024 season. His return for year No. 21 brought about the biggest turnaround the team enjoyed in his head coaching career, as the Utes won 10 games for the eighth time since 2005 and remained in contention for the Big 12 title until the final week of the regular season.

Whittingham, who took over full-time head coaching duties in 2004 after initially joining Ron McBride’s staff as a defensive line coach in 1994, finished the 2025 regular season with 177 career victories, ranking No. 3 among all active Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and No. 3 among head coaches who have remained at the same school. He was the second-longest tenured head coach at the FBS level and tied for the third-oldest (66) with Temple’s K.C. Feeler.

Whittingham led Utah to two Rose Bowl appearances, three conference championships and an undefeated season capped off by a win over Alabama in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. He earned three national Coach of the Year awards, including the AFCA and Bear Bryant Awards in 2008, and the Dodd Trophy in 2019.

"The legacy that Kyle Whittingham leaves distinguishes him as one of the most impactful figures in the history of Utah Athletics," said Utah director of athletics Mark Harlan. "As the head coach or as an assistant, Coach Whitt played a pivotal role in the most historic and successful seasons in program history, and established championship expectations. 

Whittingham's final game will be against Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl, set for 1:30 p.m. MT on Dec. 31.