Utah's Kyle Whittingham Ranked Among Best Coaches In The Country
When people think about the top college coaches in the nation, their are a handful of names that are immediately said.
From Nick Saban — arguably the greatest college coach of all time — to Dabo Swinney, Kirby Smart and Lincoln Riley, the South is littered with some of the top leaders.
But there's always one name that never gets mentioned, always one name that when finally said make a whole lot of sense.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham is that name.
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
According to an article posted by Pro Football Focus, Whittingham checks in as the No. 8 coach in the country. He's the only Pac-12 coach ranked in the top-20, and only coach from the Mountain West or West Coast ranked in the top-20.
Top-20 Coaches According to PFF
- Nick Saban, Alabama
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson
- Kirby Smart, Georgia
- Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma
- Dan Mullen, Florida
- Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
- Matt Campbell, Iowa State
- Kyle Whittingham, Utah
- Lance Leipold, Kansas
- Mack Brown, North Carolina
- Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina
- Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
- Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
- Mark Stoops, Kentucky
- Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
- Tom Allen, Indiana
- Jeff Monken, Army
- James Franklin, Penn State
- Billy Napier, Louisiana
- P.J. Fleck, Minnesota
Interestingly enough, Whittingham isn't exactly credited with putting Utah on the map and making the program one of the top in the nation. That honor goes to former Utah and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who now is the man in charge of Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Over the past 16 years as head coach of Utah, Whittingham has compiled a 134-66 overall record. His .670 winning percentage is among the best in the country for coaches who've been in the lead role for at least five years. He's also compiled an 80-54 conference record during his career.
Even though Whittingham didn't build the program from the ground up, he's credited with sustaining that success and leading the Utes into the Pac-12 — a hurdle far more impressive.
After his opening three years in the Pac-12 in which the program went 18-19 overall and 9-18 in conference play, the Utes have been one of the best teams in the Pac-12. They've won nine games and finished better than .500 in conference play in six of the past seven seasons.
“We might forget that Urban Meyer served as Utah’s head coach for only two seasons, and while he may have started the Utes down this track, Whittingham has sustained a level of success the school has never even come close to enjoying before.
“Whittingham has won 67% of his games in his 17 years as head coach for a program that was invisible for most of its history.
“After moving from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 and starting 18-19 over the first three years, the Utes now have won at least nine games in five of the last six seasons, not including the shortened 2020 season. It’s easy to just think about Utah as a team that always competes for a conference title year in year out because of the recent past, but that is not how this program is viewed historically. Since 2016, the Utes have been the best defense in the conference, posting a cumulative -0.149 EPA allowed per play in those five seasons.”
But the one glaring mark on Whittingham's resume, and that's probably from keeping him being considered among the top five best coaches in the country is the fact that he's yet to win a Pac-12 title.
He's 11-3 in bowl games with victories in the Fiesta and Sugar Bowl — but there Rose Bowl appearance (and victory) remains elusive.
That could all change this year as Whittingham has potentially his most talented team ever on paper. Led by 19 returning starters, the Utes will have a dominating defense once again and turn the reigns of the offense to either Cam Rising or grad transfer Charlie Brewer.
Only time will tell if Whittingham will get over the proverbial hump, but his status as one of the best coaches in the country is definitely secured.
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