I wasn’t the biggest fan of his, but he’s going out a winner.
He will also go out being one hell of a Ute. He deserves a statue. Along with his pension.
15 Likes
Whit took Utah to the next level in every conceivable way over the past two decades, and did it with grace, toughness, and class. Can’t say enough how much I appreciate him and his steady hand at guiding this program. Wasn’t always perfect, but if you compare Utah’s trajectory with nearly every other comparable school and I’ll take the stability and character we’ve had over the last 20 years over anyone else. I’m also very glad he got to go out on a successful season and on his own terms.
Sad to see him go but have no doubts that the program is in really good hands.
16 Likes
The end of an era–the greatest in Utah football history. But not the end of the story–that’s still being written.
I hope Beck stays.
12 Likes
Mandel posted about Whitt may be seeking other coaching opportunities. Hard to imagine.
3 Likes
I highly doubt it, but if he really felt like wanted to go try his hand in Ann Arbor, would you blame him?
4 Likes
I am a big fan of his and can not thank him enough for all he did to build the program.
I will not thank him for UNLV 2007 as that is where my Utes ptsd came alive. Long drive back to az the next day.
5 Likes
Is Scalley the absolute heir apparent, or is there a chance that Utah will look elsewhere? Does Sitake get a call? That would cause some mega-angst.
3 Likes
Regardless if it is Scalley (presumably) or someone else, Whit is going to be hard to follow.
5 Likes
Oh, and massive shout-out to Coach Whit. The guy created an amazing atmosphere for the Ute football team, and he was the driving force for the team, especially on the defensive side. I met him and chatted at a dinner and he and his wife were gracious, affable and humble. He deserves a looooong vacation, hopefully his stress levels can come down and he can live a long post-coaching life.
6 Likes
If Utah hires Sitake (minus Jay Hill) I would be done with Utah Athletics. Sitake was at best a mid HC until Hill arrived.
Scalley was the head coach in waiting, Whittingham said he would be the next coach when he made the announcement.
I also think Mandel is maybe confusing that Whittingham’s contract gives him a position at the U after he is done coaching.
12 Likes
Yeah, if anyone but Scalley was HC (who has it in his 2023 contract to be ‘in-waiting’), I’m sure they would have to buy him out of that.
Whittingham will make $3.75M for 2 years as the ‘special assistant to the AD’. What that means is probably TBD - fundraising? donor schmoozing? work with Otro? help with other sport development? No way he would retire here and go look for another HC job. Time to spend time with the grandchildren and wind down a long Utah career, not move somewhere and ramp up a build.
5 Likes
I’m not certain Mandel knows what he talks about most of the time. That said, the UM fans on r/cfb would be ecstatic if Whit was their next coach, especially how the last 2 left.
1 Like
Well disregard my post, because I understood it differently. At some point it will be clarified.
1 Like
Whitt was my favorite New Orleans Breaker of the old USFL.
Now he has time to do some leg lifts and work on those scrawny old woman calf muscles.
4 Likes
Whit deserves a ton of praise and credit. He wasn’t perfect. I thought he mismanged the QBs on many occasions and meddled with the offense too much. Utah also more WTF games than you’d want to see. But the guy conistently kept Utah at a top-25 level.
In Utah’s entire football history, the program has had 11 10-win seasons. Eight of those came with Whit as head coach, and all 11 came while he was on the staff (1994, 2003, 2004 he was an assistant). Before he arrived on campus in 1994, Utah finishing at .500 or above was a big deal. Now people are disappointed with a couple of losses. He will be missed.
7 Likes
Yes.
Part of the plan was Scalley being able to tell recruits there was a plan in place.
6 Likes
Told my twins over dinner that Whit retired. One of them asked, “How do they find a new coach? Do they hold an election?”
8 Likes
Well that’s better than a HS friend of mine who thought being the Pope was a hereditary position.
6 Likes
Whitt was like a second HC on the field when Meyer was here, and impressively learned the subtleties involved in being the guy once he succeeded Meyer. Not as flashy as Urban, he was true to himself and that proved to be more than enough.
The stars aligned in 2004, and though Whitt knew it would be an uphill job following perfection, he took it anyway and left the fans’ lingering longing for Meyer behind in the Sugar Bowl in '08.
I knew Whit couldn’t leave after last year’s struggles, so happy to see him leaving on the high note that is more representative of his overall career.
5 Likes