Kyle Whittingham Cracks Top 10 in On3's Latest Head Coach Rankings

Another day, another head coach ranking has released, and Utah's Kyle Whittingham is continuing to receive his flowers after years of being overlooked in the general college football sphere.

Oct 28, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham looks on before a / Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports

On3 Sport's Jesse Simonton has just released his final 2024 head coach ranking list after going conference by conference, power ranking head coaches in each of the power 4 in which he ranked Utah's coach Kyle Whittingham as the best coach in the Big-12.

Simonton's latest list is an overall top 25 head coach ranking that see's Coach Whitt crack the top 10 and ultimately settle at the 8th spot. The rest of the top 10 includes Kirby Smart coming in at #1, Brian Kelly #2, Kalen DeBoer #3, Ryan Day #4, Steve Sarkisian #5, Dabo Swinney #6, Mike Norvell #7, Lincoln Riley #9, and Lane Kiffin rounding out at #10.

Oct 21, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham celebrates after / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In his reasoning for Whittingham's rank, Simonton said, "Overwhelmed by a cascade of injuries, the Utes slipped to 8-5 last year— the program’s worst full season since 2017 (7-6). Whittingham has overseen one of the most consistent programs in the nation, with eight Top 25 finishes and two Pac-12 Championships in the last three years."

He continued by saying, "Whittingham, who is set to enter his 20th season with Utah, has maintained remarkable staff continuity (coordinators Andy Ludwig and Morgan Scalley have each been on staff for the last nine years). The Utes are the favorites to win the Big 12 this fall, providing Whittingham with a third conference to win a championship in."

While it could be argued that Whittingham deserves to be higher up on the list, a top 10 nod is nothing to scoff at, and it's due time for Whitt to receive his flowers after being severely overlooked despite many successful years with Utah. After a down 2023 campaign, 2024 is a crucial season not only for the program as a whole, but for Kyle Whittingham in particular to take his reputation to the next level and further cement his name among the elite minds of the game.