What Kyle Whittingham said during another week of Rose Bowl prep

Kyle Whittingham shared his thoughts on the passing of Mike Leach, the current recruiting situation, and the 2023 Rose Bowl.

Question: What are your thoughts on the passing of Mike Leach?

Kyle Whittingham: "Our thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to his wife, his kids, his grandchildren. Just an awful turn of events. Only 61 years old and he was a good friend of mine. It's just devastating. We will miss him. The whole college world will miss Mike Leach."

Question: Can you share some recollections of your bond with Coach Leach?

Kyle Whittingham: "First of all, he was brilliant. You could pick any subject; UFOs, Sasquatch, politics, three hours on any subject, he could go. And you (wouldn't) get much talking in, he would carry the conversation. He was well-versed in every subject, any subject you would bring up. I remember one time we were talking before (a) game, he was still at Washington State. We're talking and he pulls a banana out of the back of his pocket, starts eating it and says 'you want one? I got another one in my pocket.' I said 'no, I'm good Coach.' But that's just who he is. He was his own man, his own person. I don't want to say he didn't care what anybody thought, but he said what was on his mind. He was one of a kind. His humor was second to none. Like I said, just miss him dearly."

Question: What kind of an impact did Coach Leach have on college football?

Kyle Whittingham: "He's really the guy that took the air raid and made it what it is. Hal Mumme was the brainchild of it, I guess. But Mike Leach developed it and took it to where he did during the course of his career. He's an innovator. He deserves the credit for making that offense come to fruition and making it so effective."

Question: How has recruiting been shaping up lately?

Kyle Whittingham: "Really good. We're closing in on a top-20 class, which we've never done. We could be inside the top-20 when all is said and done. We'll see. Nothing helps recruiting more than success. Back-to-back Pac-12 Championships, back-to-back Rose Bowls. All that stuff matters. Obviously, NIL is a big part of that. We're not a school that has a ton of NIL resources, but we've got a lot of momentum in recruiting right now. We're trending in the right direction…just got to keep it going."

Jaylon Glover, Utah / Courtesy of Jaylon Glover Twitter

Question: How does playing young guys in the Rose Bowl impact recruiting?

Utah Utes safety Cole Bishop (6) jumps on a fumble by Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) during the second quarter of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2022. College Football Rose Bowl / Credit: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Whittingham: "It has a big impact. We're an equal opportunity (program) here. We don't care if you've been here five years or five months or five days. If you're the best player, you're going to play. I think the amount of young guys that we play year after year is a testament to that. That's another reason why, I believe, that recruits are very attracted to our program. They know that if they're good enough and they're ready, they're going to play right away."

Question: Did playing in last years Rose Bowl help prepare for this year?

Utah Utes tight end Brant Kuithe (80) celebrates after a play against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half during the 2022 Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl / Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Whittingham: "I think experience helps you any time you're in a situation like this. I think it helped us in the last two [Pac-12] Championship games, after going to our first two in '19 and '18. I think that's always a positive thing. It doesn't guarantee anything, it doesn't mean you're going to play great or anything like that. But it does give you a reference point and some opportunity to learn from what you did well or didn't do so well in the last year's preparation, and apply it this year for the better."

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