Utah coach Kyle Whittingham’s retirement plans uncertain after Utes beat UCF

Orlando, Florida • Kyle Whittingham wrapped an arm around his wife, Jamie, and trudged through the rain-soaked grass of FBC Mortgage Stadium.

As they reached the sideline, the legendary Utah coach suppressed his emotions as he waved to the group of chanting Ute fans sitting above the tunnel. Then Whittingham made his exit.

Where the legendary Ute coach goes next is the biggest question in Utah sports.

The Utes’ season-ending 28-14 victory over the UCF Knights, a win that ended a seven-game losing streak, could well be the final game of Whittingham’s storied career. He said he was unsure if he would return next season and that he would make a decision in the coming days and weeks.

On Friday night, however, Whittingham turned his focus to his team and the program he has built since taking over from Urban Meyer two decades ago.

“I don’t want to talk about that,” Whittingham said when asked about his plans for next season. “It’s not about me. I don’t want to bring that up. Let these guys enjoy this victory. Tonight is all about our players and we’re just proud of them and I’d rather leave it at that for tonight.”

This ends the Utes’ brutal losing streak and the most difficult year of Whittingham’s career.

And the mystery surrounding the Hall of Fame coach’s future continues.

At some moments, including leading up to Friday’s game against UCF, Whittingham seemed like a coach on the way out, ready to bask in the uncertainties of what life after football will look like.

At other times, he seemed ready to tackle a 21st season. When ESPN 700 asked Whittingham after the game about the future of the program, the coach talked as if it was actually his team next season.

He chatted about everything from high school recruits to the search for an offensive coordinator in Utah to preparing for the transfer portal to open.

“We had meetings with a few people last week,” Whittingham said on the radio. “We are already determining our needs for next season. …You have to wait and see who enters the portal before you start recruiting.”

With this in mind, he has also included defensive coordinator and future head coach Morgan Scalley in the process of assembling the squad for next year, 2025. Scalley was instrumental in finding Andy Ludwig’s replacement for next season, Whittingham said. They also informed incoming freshmen about Whittingham’s possible retirement and how Scalley would take over the program if Utah’s head coach actually decides to leave.

Given the timing of the major dates of the college football offseason, one would assume Whittingham’s decision will come soon. But it is also possible that Scalley’s deployment will give the 65-year-old enough security to decide on his schedule.

Nobody knows for sure.

However, his legacy is undeniable.

Since Whittingham took over the program in 2004, he has brought the Utes an undefeated season and a memorable Sugar Bowl victory, two Pac-12 championships and two Rose Bowl appearances, 167 victories and, most importantly, 16 win seasons.

“I think he’s a legend,” senior quarterback Luke Bottari said after Friday’s game. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. In a way, he has always done more with less. He is a legend. I mean, that’s all I have. I personally love him. He gave me the opportunity to participate in this program and come back. So I just thank him for this opportunity.”

Senior running back Micah Bernard also praised the Utah head coach.

“Coach Whitt, he means a lot to me,” Bernard said. “He is a legend and knows a lot about football. He knows a lot about life. He knows a lot about everything and to have him and be by his side, just to be part of his journey – whether it ends or not – it just feels good to know that we ended it with a win. “

Just a few weeks ago, Whittingham said he was in the “Twilight Zone” after a disastrous loss to Colorado. The fate of this season was the opposite of everything Utes and Whittingham had imagined. For the second season in a row, injuries increased, particularly at the quarterback position. Utah began the season as the favorite to win the Big 12, but finished the season with two wins in the conference.

Whittingham expected its first berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff. Instead, he suffered his first seven-game losing streak, the longest loss of his head coaching career.

Even then, the head coach’s trust in his team was unbroken.

“You definitely want to go out with a win rather than an alternative,” Whittingham said. “But it gives you some momentum for the offseason and a positive feeling.

“It’s still a long way from where we wanted to be. There were a lot of circumstances this year that contributed to this, but we were very positive and proud of our boys, especially that they persevered. Because after not having success week after week, many teams just make a profit and don’t put in any effort at all. These guys just try really hard every day.”

So when asked about his upcoming decision, he refocused on his players.

For weeks, Whittingham has urged his players to “fight through adversity.”

As Friday night came to a close, Utah’s head coach told his players, “You deserve this.”

“It’s very rewarding to see that they have the opportunity to reap some positive fruits of their labor,” Whittingham said. “They worked hard week after week and didn’t have much to show for it. For us it was very positive that they showed their character, resilience and ability to deal with adversity and came together again to put on a game like this. For her.”

That was the last answer Whittingham gave reporters before walking off with his wife, son Tyler Whittingham and several other people. As the buses filled with equipment and the players packed up for the trip home, Whittingham slowly made his way down the concourse of UCF Stadium.

As the stadium completely emptied and the lights fell on the dilapidated field, Whittingham strolled once more across the wet grass, his hands in the pockets of his black jacket and a few family members at his side.

He took a moment in the empty field to take a few photos with his wife as members of his family looked on.

After finishing his photo op, Utah’s head coach exited the stadium with his family by his side.

Perhaps Whittingham has put together a beautiful end in the empty stadium at the end of the worst season of his career.

Or perhaps, as he considers his future, it will simply be a snapshot at the end of a chapter rather than an era.

That answer is his for now.