Why Kyle Whittingham decided to step down as Utah's head coach

Utes head coach addressed the media for the first time since announcing his intentions of stepping down after the Las Vegas Bowl

Kyle Whittingham will coach his final game as the Utah Utes head coach in the Las Vegas Bowl. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

A new era of Utah football will begin after the team's final game of 2025 against Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Kyle Whittingham, the head coach of the Utes for the past 21 seasons, announced Dec. 12 that he'll be stepping down from his position at the end of the season.

The program's all-time winningest head coach 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, finishing his illustrious career with the third-most wins among active Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches (177 going into the Las Vegas Bowl).

So, why did Whittingham decide to step back now?

"The program's in a good place right now," Whittingham said during a media availability session Thursday. "As I've said many times after last season just didn't sit right with anybody — particularly me — and so I came back, and fortunately, was able to get the ship righted and everything's on track."

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.

"I'm at peace and and I did not want to be that guy that overstayed his welcome," Whittingham said. "That was not my intention ever, and I hope I didn't do that. I'm sure with some people, I did do that, but to me, the timing is right."

Whittingham's decision to step down — not retire — sparked theories and rumors that he could look into coaching opportunities elsewhere.

Whittingham didn't rule out retirement when asked about it, though it sounded like he'd keep the door open beyond his final game with the Utes.

"If my phone rings, I'll answer it," Whittingham said. "And we'll see. That's pretty much the process."

Michigan coaching job remains the biggest opening on the market. Whittingham's name has been attached through rumor, but nothing concrete between the two parties has developed since his announcement.

For now, the 66-year-old California native is focused on leading the Utes onto the field one last time for a bowl game matchup against the Cornhuskers.

"This has been one of my favorite years," Whittingham said. "The team attitude, the leadership, the work ethic; just the personality on the field, the vibe of the team is is outstanding."

"Having the chance to be around these guys one more month and and go to battle one more time with them was something I wanted to do."

Whittingham's confidence in Morgan Scalley

Scalley, who served as the defensive coordinator for the past 10 seasons, will succeed Whittingham after he steps down as head coach.

Scalley, 46, has been with the program in some coaching capacity for almost the past 20 years, beginning as a graduate assistant in 2007 following a standout playing career with the Utes. His understanding of the program's identity and culture were reasons why Whittingham felt confident in his future as a head coach.

"He's really good at connecting with players," Whittingham said. "His culture ideas, my culture ideas align perfectly. We both have a lot of the same recruiting strategies and thoughts, evaluation wise, how you navigate the portal, all that stuff. It's very consistent."