Utah Names Morgan Scalley As Kyle Whittingham's Eventual Successor

Mike McDaniel | Jul 1, 2024

Nov 3, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley prior to the game against the UCLA Bruins at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports / Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Utah Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley will succeed head coach Kyle Whittingham as head coach once Whittingham retires, the school announced on Monday. The news was first reported by ESPN's Pete Thamel.

There is no current timetable for the 64-year-old Whittingham's retirement, but once he walks away from his position as head coach, a role he's held at Utah since 2005, Scalley will be his replacement. Once Scalley is elevated, he is set to make at least $5 million per season, according to his new contract with the school.

"Coach Whittingham has built Utah Football into one of the nation's elite programs through a strong culture, tradition and exceptional student-athletes, and he has been clear about his intentions of continuing to lead this incredible Utah Football program as we move into the Big 12 Conference and into the new expanded College Football Playoff," Utah director of athletics Mark Harlan said in a release. "However, we must plan for the future, and Coach Whittingham and I both strongly believe that the future lies with Morgan Scalley. Morgan has played a critical role in our success through his embodiment of our core values and his leadership, and I have witnessed first hand his growth as a coach and as a person over the last several years. He is an elite coach who has been trained by the best - Coach Whittingham - and whenever it is time for Morgan to take the helm, I have no doubt that our program will continue to have success."

The 44-year-old Scalley has been part of Whittingham's staff at Utah since 2007, when he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant. He's been Utah's defensive coordinator since 2016, and has overseen a defense that has consistently been one of the top units in the sport.

Scalley's transition into the head coaching role, whenever the time comes, will allow continuity within the way the program operates. Utah has been a pillar of consistency in college football since Whittingham took over for Urban Meyer, reaching multiple New Year's Six bowl games in the process.