Utah names defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley as successor to Kyle Whittingham

Scalley given back the coach-in-waiting title that was pulled after a racist incident in 2020

Nov 12, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley looks on in the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley will be the Utes new head coach when Kyle Whittingham retires, per an announcement by athletic director Mark Harlan on Monday.

Scalley’s new $2 million contract with Utah restores his “coach-in-waiting" title that the longtime Utes assistant had held previously. He'll receive $5 million per year when Whittingham leaves, according to reports. Scalley was being investigated by university officials and an independent law firm for “inadvertently" texting a racial slur to a recruit in 2013.

What were the details of the Morgan Scalley investigation?

The incident surfaced in 2020 and Scalley was suspended by Utah but later cleared to return. "We have thoroughly evaluated all of the information available to us to determine the most appropriate conclusion and path forward," Harlan said in a statement at the time. "The racist language used by Coach Scalley is inexcusable and harmful to all, particularly to those communities identified in the report. We believe, and expect, that he will learn and lead, while owning his past conduct, to rebuild trust, reconcile harm caused and make a positive impact on the lives of student-athletes."

There were all three incidents were Scalley was accused of using racial stereotypes in some form or another, although none were meant as a personal attack. Among those accusations was the one from former Ute Ryan Lacy, who accused Scalley of using a racial slur towards him in 2008. Scalley denied the allegations and there was very little proof to support those claims.

There's no timetable set for Whittingham to exit Utah. He's one of the longest-tenured coaches in college football and will earn up to $7 million this year.

This story is developing