 Whittingham in 2010 | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Utah |
| Conference | Big 12 |
| Record | 176–88 |
| Annual salary | $6.5 million[1][2][3] |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1959-11-21)November 21, 1959 (age 66) San Luis Obispo, California, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1978–1981 | BYU |
| 1982 | Denver Broncos[a] |
| 1983 | Denver Gold |
| 1984 | New Orleans Breakers |
| 1987 | Los Angeles Rams[b] |
| Position | Linebacker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1985–1986 | BYU (GA) |
| 1987 | Eastern Utah (DC) |
| 1988–1991 | Idaho State (STC/LB) |
| 1992–1993 | Idaho State (DC) |
| 1994 | Utah (DL) |
| 1995–1996 | Utah (DC/S) |
| 1997 | Utah (DC/LB) |
| 1998–2000 | Utah (DC/S) |
| 2001–2004 | Utah (DC/LB) |
| 2005–present | Utah |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 176–88 |
| Bowls | 11–6 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| |
| Awards | |
| |
| Records | |
| |
Kyle David Whittingham (born November 21, 1959) is an Americancollege football coach and former player. He has been the head football coach at theUniversity of Utah since 2005 and is the all-time leader in wins for theUtes. Prior to becoming the head coach at Utah, Whittingham served asdefensive coordinator of the Utes for ten seasons. He wonAFCA Coach of the Year and thePaul "Bear" Bryant Award in 2008 after leadingthat year's team to an undefeated season, including a win in the2009 Sugar Bowl over theAlabama Crimson Tide. As of September 2025, he is the second longest tenuredFBS coach (with one school), trailing onlyKirk Ferentz.[5]
A graduate ofProvo High School, Whittingham was all-state at linebacker and fullback and earned two letters inbaseball for the Bulldogs. He remained inProvo and played college football for theBrigham Young University (BYU)Cougars from1978 through1981. His father,Fred, was BYU's linebacker coach, and later the defensive coordinator, under longtime head coachLaVell Edwards.[6] In his senior season in 1981, he was theWAC Defensive Player of the Year,[4] and the defensiveMVP of theHoliday Bowl. Whittingham played in the first four Holiday Bowls; he was a running back as a freshman in theinaugural and a linebacker in the next three, during which he recorded 27 tackles. In 2009, he was inducted into the Holiday Bowl Hall of Fame.[7]
Whittingham graduated from BYU in 1981 and went on to play linebacker for theDenver Gold andNew Orleans Breakers of theUSFL and theCalgary Stampeders of theCFL. He also played for theLos Angeles Rams' replacement squad in 1987.[4]
Whittingham became a graduate assistant for BYU during the 1985 and 1986 seasons. In 1987, Whittingham was named defensive coordinator at theCollege of Eastern Utah. He coached there for a season before taking a job atIdaho State University (ISU). After five seasons at ISU, Whittingham joined the Utah staff as defensive line coach, working alongside his father, Fred. In the 1995 season, Whittingham replaced his father as the defensive coordinator, who had been hired as the linebackers coach for theOakland Raiders. Whittingham remained the defensive coordinator for ten years, serving under bothRon McBride andUrban Meyer, until being named head coach in 2004.
The 2004 season ended with Utah becoming the first BCS non-AQ conference team to make aBCS bowl game, theFiesta Bowl. After winning the Fiesta Bowl, the Utes' overall record improved to 12–0 under the leadership of junior starting quarterbackAlex Smith (in his final season before declaring for theNFL draft) and head coach Urban Meyer, who announced his departure to theUniversity of Florida in December 2004. After the regular season, and before the Fiesta Bowl, Whittingham was offered the head coaching job at Utah and also the head coaching job at hisalma mater, BYU. After struggling with the decision for four days he chose the Utes.[8] Because Meyer had already accepted the head coaching job at Florida before the Fiesta Bowl, Whittingham and Meyer acted as co-head coaches of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. Utah and the NCAA credit the Fiesta Bowl win to both Meyer and Whittingham.[9]
Whittingham's first season as head coach was an up and down ride for Utah as the team not only adjusted to a new coaching staff, includingAndy Ludwig, but also a new offense led by quarterbackBrian Johnson. Utah struggled early on, going 3–4 in their first 7 games, however, a strong finish gave Utah their third straight bowl invite.
In the2005 Emerald Bowl the Utes faced theGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Utah beat Georgia Tech 38–10, the Yellow Jackets' worst bowl loss by point margin in school history. Whittingham finished his first year at Utah with a 7–5 record.[10]
In 2006, Whittingham's team faced a degree of adversity. Starting quarterbackBrett Ratliff struggled through parts of the year, and so did the Utes. Like the year before, the Utes rebounded toward the end of the season, but lost to rival BYU at home by a score of 33–31. The Utes became bowl eligible for the fourth straight year, a school record. Whittingham led the Utes to a 25–13 victory over theUniversity of Tulsa in the2006 Armed Forces Bowl, running his record to 15–10 (.600) with Utah.[11]
2007 would provide more adversity. In Johnson's first start since 2005, he broke his collarbone againstOregon State and starting running backMatt Asiata broke his leg as Utah got routed 24–7 by the Beavers. The following week, wide receiver Brent Casteel was lost for the season in an embarrassing 20–12 loss at home toAir Force.
Utah looked as if it righted the ship the following week with a 44–6 rout of No. 9UCLA, the highest-ranked team ever defeated by the Utes. But the following week represented the worst week of Whittingham's head coaching career—a 27–0 loss to perennial cellar-dwellerUNLV that had many wondering if Whittingham could survive as a head coach at Utah.
But like past seasons, the Utes regrouped and won seven consecutive games, using a stingy, big-play defense and the sledgehammer running attack of Darrell Mack (253 carries, 1,204 yards and 16 total touchdowns), who had been scheduled to redshirt in what was going to be his junior season. The Utes 50–0 drubbing of Wyoming proved controversial. Up 43–0 in the second half, Whittingham decided to go for an onside kick. An emotionalJoe Glenn was caught on camera giving Whittinghamthe bird after the play. In the season finale, Utah suffered its second consecutive loss to rivalBYU to end the regular season, 17–10.[12]
Whittingham and Utah overcame that disappointment to beatNavy, 35–32, in the2007 Poinsettia Bowl. It marked the Utes' seventh consecutive bowl victory, which placed them second toBoston College in longest active bowl winning streaks.
In 2008, Utah completed an undefeated regular season and qualified for the2009 Sugar Bowl. Along the way were wins atMichigan, late come-from-behind wins overOregon State andTCU, and a convincing victory over rivalBYU. Overall, Utah finished the regular season holding wins over three teams in the finalAP Top 25.[13]
Utah defeatedAlabama, 31–17, in the Sugar Bowl,[14] completing the fifth undefeated and untied season in school history.
The American Football Coaches Association selected Whittingham as the 2008AFCA National Coach of the Year Award.[15] The announcement was made at the football coaches' convention, which Whittingham attended. The AFCA award is the oldest national coach of the year award, dating back to 1935, and is the only one chosen exclusively by the coaches.
He also won the 2008Paul "Bear" Bryant Award.[15]
The team was selected national champion byAnderson & Hester,.[16]
In 2009, Utah had its second consecutive 10-win season. They finished with a 10–3 (6–2 MWC) record and a 37–27 win overCalifornia in the2009 Poinsettia Bowl.[17] Whittingham helped the Utes reach these benchmarks with two new coordinators:Dave Schramm as theoffensive coordinator andKalani Sitake as thedefensive coordinator. Utah's three losses came against teams that finished the season ranked:Oregon,TCU, andBYU who finished the season ranked No. 11, 6, and 12 in theAP Poll, respectively. Utah finished ranked No. 18 in both the AP Poll and theCoaches' Poll.[18]
Whittingham turned down the head coaching position atTennessee early in 2010.[19]
Utah started the 2010 season with an upset of then-15th ranked Pittsburgh.[20] The Utes then managed the third 8–0 start in program history, rising to fifth in the BCS rankings. However, during a 68–27 victory over Iowa State, Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn injured his arm and though he continued to play, the injury impacted the remainder of the season. After that 8–0 start, the Utes stumbled badly at home against the TCU Horned Frogs, lost a sloppy contest to Notre Dame and then bounced back to end the regular season with victories over San Diego State and rival Brigham Young University.
Due to the injury, Wynn, who finished the regular season in spite of his injury, missed the Las Vegas Bowl – a 26–3 loss to the Boise State Broncos.[21] It was the program's first bowl loss since the 1996 Copper Bowl and snapped a 9-game bowl winning streak, which was, at the time, the longest active streak in college football.[22]
The Utes finished the 2010 campaign with a 10–3 record.[23] It marked the first time in program history that Utah produced three consecutive ten-win seasons.[24]
In its inaugural season in thePac-12 Conference, Utah finished with an 7–5 regular season record (4–5 in the Pac-12).[25][26] The Utes defeatedGeorgia Tech in theSun Bowl by a score of 30–27 to end the season.[27]
The Utes went 5–7 in the 2012 season, highlighted with a ranked victory overBYU on September 15.[28][29]
Whittingham led Utah to a 4–2 start before a five-game losing streak.[30] The 2013 season ended with a high note with a 24–17 victory overColorado to go 5–7.[31]
Whittingham led the Utes to a 8–4 regular season mark in the 2014 season.[32] The season was highlighted by ranked victories overUCLA andUSC.[33][34] The Utes defeated theColorado State Rams 45–10 in theLas Vegas Bowl to end the season.[35]
Whittingham led the Utes to a 6–0 start and a #3 ranking in the AP Poll before dropping a 42–24 result toUSC.[36][37] The Utes finished the regular season with a 9–3 record.[38] The team qualified for theLas Vegas Bowl, which ended up being a 35–28 victory overBYU.[39]
On January 29, 2016, The University of Utah announced Whittingham had agreed to a contract extension through the 2020 season. The contract will pay Whittingham $3.3 million per year.[40] This came on the heels of Whittingham surging past McBride to become the second-winningest coach in school history, behind onlyIke Armstrong.
Whittingham led the Utes to a 8–4 mark in the regular season, which qualified them to theFoster Farms Bowl.[41] In the Foster Farms Bowl againstIndiana, the Utes won 26–24.[42]
The Utes went 6–6 in the 2017 regular season.[43] The team qualified for theHeart of Dallas Bowl, a 30–14 victory overWest Virginia.[44]
The Utes finished with a 9–3 regular season mark, which qualified them for the Pac-12 Championship Game.[45]
Whittingham and the Utes opened up the 2019 season with a #14 ranking in the AP Poll.[46] The Utes started 3–0 before a 30–23 loss toUSC.[47] The Utes reeled off an eight-game winning streak to qualify for thePac-12 Championship Game, an eventual 37–15 loss toOregon.[48][49] The Utes qualified for theAlamo Bowl, which ended up being a 38–10 loss toTexas.[50]
Whittingham's contract at Utah was renewed through 2027 at around $5 million per year.[51][52] The Utes' 2020 season wasshortened because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[53] They only played five games on the season, finishing with a 3–2 mark.[54]
The Utes started off the 2021 season with a 4–3 start before reeling off a five game-winning streak to close out the regular season.[55] In that stretch was a 38–7 victory over third-rankedOregon,[56] where Whittingham became the winningest coach in University of Utah football program history with 142 victories.[57][58] His total eclipsed that of coachIke Armstrong, who amassed 141 wins from 1925 to 1949.[59] With their 9–3 record, Utah qualified for thePac-12 Championship Game, a rematch against Oregon. In the game, Utah defeated Oregon 38–10.[60] The Utes qualified for theRose Bowl, where they lost 48–45 toOhio State.[61]
Whittingham and the Utes started the 2022 season ranked #7 in the AP Poll for Utah's best ranking to start a season in school history.[62] However, the 2022 season started off with a 29–26 loss to theFlorida Gators on the road to drop to #13.[63] Utah recovered with a four-game winning streak before a 42–32 setback toUCLA on the road.[64][65] The Utes put together another four-game winning streak, highlighted by a 43–42 upset over #7USC.[64][66] The Utes split their final two games, a 20–17 loss toOregon and a 63–21 victory overColorado.[67][68] The team qualified for thePac-12 Championship Game, a rematch against USC. The Utes defeated the Trojans 47–24 in the rematch.[69] The Utes qualified for theRose Bowl againstPenn State, where the Nittany Lions defeated the Utes 35–21.[70]
Whittingham led the Utes to a 8–4 regular season mark that culminated with a loss in theLas Vegas Bowl toNorthwestern.[71][72]
Whittingham was born on November 21, 1959, inSan Luis Obispo, California. His father, Fred Whittingham, played linebacker professionally for nine years and then coached at the college and the professional level for almost twenty years.[73][74]
Whittingham graduated from BYU with abachelor's degree ineducational psychology in 1982. In 1983, he married Jamie Daniels. Whittingham then earned amaster's degree in professionalleadership in 1986.[8] Whittingham and his wife have four children. Whittingham is a member ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[75] Whittingham is an avid skier, tennis player, and golfer.
In 2008, Whittingham and former Utah head coach Urban Meyer were the first people to donate money to the ElderJoseph B. Wirthlin Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship which benefits the football program.[76][77]
In 2020, after Ty-Coreous Jordan, Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the year, was killed in a gun incident, Whittingham and his wife were the original donors to the Ty Jordan Memorial Fund with their donation of $100,000.[78] The following year, Aaron Lowe, Ty Jordan's childhood friend who also played for the University of Utah, was murdered at a house party hours after Utah's win against Washington State.[79] The Ty Jordan Memorial Fund was then renamed the 22 Forever Memorial Scholarship and Whittingham continues to make donations to that scholarship.[80]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Utes(Mountain West Conference)(2005–2010) | |||||||||
| 2004 | Utah | 1–0[c] | WFiesta† | 5 | 4 | ||||
| 2005 | Utah | 7–5 | 4–4 | T–4th | WEmerald | ||||
| 2006 | Utah | 8–5 | 5–3 | T–3rd | WArmed Forces | ||||
| 2007 | Utah | 9–4 | 5–3 | T–3rd | WPoinsettia | ||||
| 2008 | Utah | 13–0 | 8–0 | 1st | WSugar† | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2009 | Utah | 10–3 | 6–2 | 3rd | WPoinsettia | 18 | 18 | ||
| 2010 | Utah | 10–3 | 7–1 | 2nd | LLas Vegas | 23 | |||
| Utah Utes(Pac-12 Conference)(2011–2023) | |||||||||
| 2011 | Utah | 8–5 | 4–5 | T–3rd(South) | WSun | ||||
| 2012 | Utah | 5–7 | 3–6 | 5th(South) | |||||
| 2013 | Utah | 5–7 | 2–7 | 5th(South) | |||||
| 2014 | Utah | 9–4 | 5–4 | 5th(South) | WLas Vegas | 20 | 21 | ||
| 2015 | Utah | 10–3 | 6–3 | T–1st (South) | WLas Vegas | 16 | 17 | ||
| 2016 | Utah | 9–4 | 5–4 | 3rd(South) | WFoster Farms | 21 | 23 | ||
| 2017 | Utah | 7–6 | 3–6 | 5th (South) | WHeart of Dallas | ||||
| 2018 | Utah | 9–5 | 6–3 | 1st(South) | LHoliday | ||||
| 2019 | Utah | 11–3 | 8–1 | 1st(South) | LAlamo | 16 | 16 | ||
| 2020 | Utah | 3–2 | 3–2 | 3rd(South) | |||||
| 2021 | Utah | 10–4 | 8–1 | 1st(South) | LRose† | 12 | 12 | ||
| 2022 | Utah | 10–4 | 7–2 | T–2nd | LRose† | 11 | 10 | ||
| 2023 | Utah | 8–5 | 5–4 | T–4th | LLas Vegas | ||||
| Utah Utes(Big 12 Conference)(2024–present) | |||||||||
| 2024 | Utah | 5–7 | 2–7 | T–13th | |||||
| 2025 | Utah | 9–2 | 6–2 | ||||||
| Utah: | 176–88 | 108–70 | |||||||
| Total: | 176–88 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
