Kyle Whittingham To Return For 2025 As Head Coach Of Utah Football
Dec 8, 2024, 3:45 PM
SALT LAKE CITY— In a Sunday afternoon announcement, Utah Football Head Coach Kyle Whittingham announced that he is returning for the 2025 season.
Whittingham, 65, just finished his 20th season as head coach of Utah football. The Utes finished the year 5-7, and the head coach seems determined to turn things around.
𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎📰
We are looking forward to 2025‼️#GoUtes | @UtahCoachWhitt pic.twitter.com/jq9BnjypgO
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 8, 2024
The announcement comes at a key moment, as the transfer portal is set to officially open on Monday. Given the uncertainty around his future, making clear to potential transfer targets that Whittingham will return was an important message to make public.
Kyle Whittingham Among The Best In College Football
Whittingham’s tenure has been one of college football’s most successful coaching careers. With 167 wins, he joined the top-50 benchmark for all-time wins by a head coach.
After an unfortunate 2024 campaign, Utah is looking at a bit of a makeover this offseason. The Utes recently announced the hiring of offensive coordinator Jason Beck, which was a very important step in their rebuilding efforts.
With their 2025 signing class secured and Beck in place, the Utes will move into the next phase of the offseason: the transfer portal. With the clarity provided on his future, transfer portal prospects no longer have to worry.
Utah has seen 13 players announce their intentions to enter the portal. They will be quite active in bringing in players that fit the new offensive scheme and shoring up the depth on defense as well.
Whittingham’s Career Accomplishments
He guided Utah to two Pac-12 Conference titles and one Mountain West title. He led the program to a Fiesta Bowl victory over Pitt in 2004 and a Sugar Bowl victory over Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2008. His tenure included 17 winning seasons, seven of which were 10 or more wins, and an 11-6 record in 17 bowl game appearances.
Under his leadership, Whittingham has elevated Utah’s stature from a mid-major school to a respected member of the Power Conference. His ability to develop talent, particularly on defense, earned him widespread recognition as one of the top defensive minds in college football.
His program has earned a reputation for turning overlooked recruits into standout players. In recent years, Utah’s player development led to a significant increase in NFL draftees. However, after this past season, the Utes have work to do to re-establish their identity and reputation.
