Kyle Whittingham - Football Coach - University of Utah Athletics

Kyle Whittingham - Washington State (2021)

Photo by: Rob Gray

Kyle Whittingham

Title:
Football Head Coach

KYLE WHITTINGHAM
Years at Utah: 21^st as head coach, 32^nd overall
Career Record: 167-86
Bowl Record: 11-6

Kyle Whittingham, who is tied as the second-longest tenured head coach at the same school in the NCAA FBS, will enter his 21^st season at the helm and 32^nd overall season at Utah in 2025 as the Utes’ all-time wins leader.

Now guiding Utah into its second season in the Big 12 Conference, Whittingham ranks second among active Big 12 head coaches in career victories at the FBS level (167), while his total ranks fifth among all active FBS head coaches and fourth among head coaches at the same school.

Including 11 seasons as a Ute assistant coach, he has contributed to more victories (252) than any coach in program history.
He has coached in 379 games at Utah, including in 253 as the head coach.
His 167 career wins passed Ike Armstrong (141-55-15 in 211 games from 1925-49) for the all-time wins number.
Utah has finished with a winning record in 17 of his 20 years as head coach, including a run of 10 straight seasons from 2014-23.
The Utes have seven, 10-win seasons under Whittingham (2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022).
Legendary for his postseason success, his 11 bowl wins (11-6) are tied for the most among active coaches with his record including a 2-2 mark in New Year’s Six bowls.
He has wins over Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl (co-head coach) and Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.

Whether at the Power Conference or mid-major level, Whittingham’s success in conference play has been significant as the Utes have gone 102-68 in conference games under Whittingham (.600).

Utah won back-to-back Pac-12 titles in 2021 and 2022, also winning at least a share of the Pac-12 South four times (2015 – shared, 2018, 2019, 2021).
The Utes also won the Mountain West in 2008 after going 8-0 in league play.
He is a two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year (2019, 2021) and was Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2008.
He has won three National Coach of the Year awards – two in 2008 and one in 2019. He was the AFCA Coach of the Year and Bear Bryant Award winner in 2008, and the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year in 2019.
In 2019 he also won AFCA Regional Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the AFCA Coach of the Year and Bear Bryant Award.
In 2021, Whittingham was a finalist for the Bear Bryant Award and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award.

Since 2019, the Utes have produced some of the best offenses and defenses in program history, winning back-to-back Pac-12 Championships in 2021 and 2022, also finishing with its highest final CFP Poll ranking in program history in 2022 (10-4 overall, No. 8).

The Utes became just the third team in Pac-12 Conference history to win back-to-back championship games.
Utah finished the 2022 season leading the Pac-12 in eight different statistical categories, also finishing second in total defense and rushing offense.
After starting the 2021 season 1-2 and having two student-athletes pass away less than 10 months apart from each other, “family on 3” truly came to life as Whittingham rallied the team together to win nine of its final 11 games of the season with the program’s first Pac-12 Championship game win and a trip to the Rose Bowl.
Utah was awarded the 2021 Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award.
Utah defeated three AP Top 25 opponents in 2021 (No.18 Arizona State, No. 4 Oregon, No. 10 Oregon), the most in a single-season since Utah’s Sugar Bowl run in 2008.
Utah’s 8-1 Pac-12 record in 2021 tied for the single-season best for the Utes (also finished 8-1 in 2019).
In similar fashion, the 2019 Utes finished the season 11-3 overall, the third-most wins in school history after winning their second-straight Pac-12 South Title, earning a spot in the Alamo Bowl.

The 2021 season was compared to Utah’s Sugar Bowl year multiple times after Whittingham engineered one of the best seasons in Utah Football history. The Utes went 13-0 in 2008, concluding the season with a 31-17 Sugar Bowl rout of Alabama, a team that had spent five weeks at No. 1.

Utah was declared the national champion that season by major selector Anderson/Hester and was ranked No. 2 in the final AP poll.
Utah was the only undefeated FBS team in 2008, beating four top-25 teams, including two that finished in the top 10.

The Utes appeared in every weekly CFP top-25 for the first three years of the system (2014-16) and are tied for the eighth-most appearances of any school with 44 total.

Utah has finished in the CFP top-25 in seven seasons: No. 22 in 2014 and 2015, No. 19 in 2016, No. 17 in 2018, No. 11 in 2019, No. 11 in 2021 and its highest-ever ranking at No. 8 in 2022.
The Utes have also made the final AP top-25 eight times and the final Coaches’ poll nine times under Whittingham.
Whittingham’s teams have also performed well against AP top-25 teams, recording 23 wins against ranked opponents, including top-10 victories over No. 4 Alabama (2009), No. 5 Stanford (2013), No. 8 UCLA (2014), No. 4 Oregon (2021, regular season), again when the Ducks were ranked No. 10 in the Pac-12 Championship game, vs. No. 7 USC (2022, regular season) and again against the Trojans when they were ranked No. 4 in the 2022 Pac-12 Championship game.

Individually, Whittingham has had 35 players make All-America teams during his time as head coach, including 17 that have made major All-America first-teams (those determining NCAA’s consensus team) with 10 earning consensus or unanimous honors.

Utah has had a consensus or unanimous All-American in six of the last nine years, including in three straight from 2021-23.
Utah’s consensus and unanimous All-Americans under Whittingham include Eric Weddle (2006), Louie Sakoda (2008), Tom Hackett (2014, 2015), Mitch Wishnowsky (2016), Matt Gay (2017), Bradlee Anae (2019), Devin Lloyd (2021), Clark Phillips III (Unanimous, 2022) and Jonah Elliss (2023).
He has also coached major national award winners in the Ray Guy Award (Tom Hackett, 2014, 2015; Mitch Wishnowsky, 2016), the Lou Groza Award (Matt Gay, 2017) and the Ted Hendricks Award (Nate Orchard, 2014).
In 2019, Utah boasted a school-record five players that earned All-America status from one of the teams that determine the NCAA’s consensus team.

Whittingham’s players have also won a total of 102 first-team all-conference awards, including 57 in Utah’s 14 total seasons at the Power Conference level.

Utah has had 36 first-team selections since 2018 with three players being three-time All-Pac-12 first-team selections (Tom Hackett, 2013-15; Mitch Wishnowsky, 2016-18; Britain Covey (2015-21).
The Utes also captured the Morris Trophy six times, which recognized the Pac-12’s best lineman, offensive and defensive, as voted on by the starting linemen on the other teams (Star Lotulelei, DT, 2011; Nate Orchard, DE, 2014; Isaac Asiata, OL, 2016; Bradlee Anae, DE, 2019; Nick Ford, OL, 2021; Mika Tafua, DE, 2021).
With Whittingham at the helm, Utah has also had eight different players earn conference player of the year honors (Lander Barton, Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, 2022; Junior Tafuna, Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, 2021; Devin Lloyd, Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year, 2021; Ty Jordan, Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, 2020; Zack Moss, Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, 2019; Brian Johnson, MW Offensive Player of the Year, 2008; Louie Sakoda, MW Special Teams Player of the Year, 2006, 2007, 2008; Eric Weddle, MW Defensive Player of the Year, 2005, 2006).

In addition to Utah’s in-season success, Whittingham also has a reputation for developing NFL talent on a yearly basis. Utah had 31 selections in the eight drafts from 2017-25, which ranks as the most among current Big 12 members.

Tight end Dalton Kincaid was drafted in the first round (25^th overall) in 2023, marking the first time in program history the Utes have had back-to-back years with first round picks.
In 2022, linebacker Devin Lloyd became Utah’s ninth first round pick in school history, going 27^th overall to Jacksonville. It was Utah’s highest-drafted linebacker in program history.
Seven Utes were drafted in 2020, the most in the Pac-12 and tied for fifth-most in the nation.
Utah had a school-record eight NFL draft picks in 2017, which led the Pac-12 and tied for third in the country.
In 2010, six Utes were drafted (tied for fourth nationally).
In 2019, Utah had two special teams players (Mitch Wishnowsky, Matt Gay) drafted, the first time since 1985 that a punter and a kicker from the same school were drafted in the same year.
As an assistant or a head coach, 123 of Whittingham’s players have signed contracts with NFL teams (68 draft picks—including 18 first or second round selections—and 55 undrafted free agents).

Utah has also excelled academically under Whittingham. Since he became head coach in 2005, his players have earned six Academic All-America selections and 400 academic all-conference/academic honor roll awards.

Britain Covey became Utah’s first Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2021 after being a two-time Academic All-American.
Utah Football received public recognition from the NCAA for posting multi-year Academic Progress Report (APR) in the top 10 percent of all athletic teams in the country from 2016-20, including a perfect single-year APR score of 1000 in 2017-18.
The AFCA also gave Utah an Academic Achievement Award for recording a perfect 100-percent single-year NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in 2017 and 2019.
Utah has eclipsed 90-percent GSR over the last seven years and its 96-percent score for 2024 was second among current Big 12 members.

Whittingham began his coaching career in 1985-86 as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Brigham Young. He spent one season as the defensive coordinator at the College of Eastern Utah in 1987, before a six-year stint at Idaho State from 1988-93.

A linebacker for BYU from 1978-81, Whittingham earned first-team all-WAC and WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1981. He played in the first four Holiday Bowls and was named Defensive MVP of the 1981 game. In 2009, he was inducted into the Holiday Bowl Hall of Fame. After his senior season, Whittingham played in the Hula and Japan Bowls. He played professionally with the Denver Broncos (1982 training camp) and the U.S. Football League’s (USFL) Denver Gold (1983) and New Orleans Breakers (1984). He played on the Los Angeles Rams’ replacement squad in 1987.

Whittingham graduated from BYU in 1984 and added a master’s degree from the school in 1987. Born Nov. 21, 1959, he was raised in Provo, Utah. He is married to the former Jamie Daniels. They have four children: Tyler, Melissa, Alex and Kylie, and 10 grandchildren. Tyler and Alex both played for the Utes with Alex currently serving as a defensive quality control coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Year-By-Year Record	School	Record	Conf.	Bowl (Result)
2004*	Utah	1-0	0-0, MWC	Fiesta vs. Pittsburgh (W)
2005	Utah	7-5	4-4, MWC	Emerald vs. Georgia Tech (W)
2006	Utah	8-5	5-3, MWC	Armed Forces vs. Tulsa (W)
2007	Utah	9-4	5-3, MWC	Poinsettia vs. Navy (W)
2008	Utah	13-0	8-0, MWC	Sugar vs. Alabama (W)
2009	Utah	10-3	6-2, MWC	Poinsettia vs. Cal (W)
2010	Utah	10-3	7-1, MWC	Las Vegas vs. Boise State (L)
2011	Utah	8-5	4-5, Pac-12	--
2012	Utah	5-7	3-6, Pac-12	--
2013	Utah	5-7	2-7, Pac-12	--
2014	Utah	9-4	5-4, Pac-12	Las Vegas vs. Colorado State (W)
2015	Utah	10-3	6-3, Pac-12	Las Vegas vs. BYU (W)
2016	Utah	9-4	5-4, Pac-12	Foster Farms vs. Indiana (W)
2017	Utah	7-6	3-6, Pac-12	Heart of Dallas vs. West Virginia (W)
2018	Utah	9-5	6-3, Pac-12	Holiday vs. Northwestern (L)
2019	Utah	11-3	8-1, Pac-12	Alamo vs. Texas (L)
2020	Utah	3-2	3-2, Pac-12	--
2021	Utah	10-4	8-1, Pac-12	Rose vs. Ohio State (L)
2022	Utah	10-4	7-2, Pac-12	Rose vs. Penn State (L)
2023	Utah	8-5	5-4, Pac-12	Las Vegas vs. Northwestern (L)
2024	Utah	5-7	2-7, Big 12	--
TOTALS		167-86		11-6

Coaching Experience

1994-present	Utah
2005-	Head Coach
2001-04	Defensive Coordinator
	Linebackers
1998-2000	Defensive Coordinator
	Safeties
1997	Defensive Coordinator
	Linebackers
1995-96	Defensive Coordinator
	Safeties
1994	Defensive Line
1988-93	Idaho State
1992-93	Defensive Coordinator
1988-91	Linebackers/Special Teams
1987	College of Eastern Utah
	Defensive Coordinator
1985-86	Brigham Young
	Graduate Assistant

Record vs. Opponents
Air Force	5-1
Alabama	1-0
Arizona	8-6
Arizona State	6-7
Baylor	2-0
Boise State	0-2
BYU	11-5
California	5-2
Colorado	11-3
Colorado State	6-1
Florida	1-1
Fresno State	2-0
Georgia Tech	2-0
Houston	0-1
Idaho State	2-0
Indiana	1-0
Iowa State	1-1
Louisville	2-0
Michigan	3-0
Montana State	1-0
Navy	1-0
New Mexico	4-2
North Carolina	0-1
North Dakota	1-0
Northern Arizona	1-0
Northern Colorado	1-0
Northern Illinois	2-0
Northwestern	0-2
Notre Dame	0-1
Ohio State	0-1
Oklahoma State	1-0
Oregon	4-8
Oregon State	8-5
Penn State	0-1
Pittsburgh	3-0
San Diego State	6-2
San Jose State	4-0
Southern Utah	3-0
Stanford	5-1
Texas	0-1
TCU	3-4
Tulsa	1-0
UCF	1-0
UCLA	9-5
UNLV	5-1
USC	7-7
Utah State	8-1
Washington	2-8
Washington State	6-4
Weber State	5-0
West Virginia	1-0
Wyoming	5-1
Totals	167-86

From Whitt to the NFL

Player	NFL Team
Brian Allen, DB	Pittsburgh (5th round), Seattle, Cincinnati, Cleveland
Jordan Agasiva, OL	Jacksonville (free agent)
Bradlee Anae, DE	Dallas (5th round), New York Jets*
Dres Anderson, WR	San Francisco (free agent), Chicago, Washington, Indianapolis, Dallas
Isaac Asiata, OL	Miami (5th round)
Matt Asiata, RB	Minnesota (free agent)
Corrion Ballard, DB	Carolina (free agent)
Cody Barton, LB	Seattle (3rd round), Washington, Denver*
Jackson Barton, OL	Indianapolis (7th round), Kansas City, N.Y. Giants, Las Vegas, Arizona*
Miles Battle, DB	Kansas City (free agent), New England*
Zane Beadles, OL	Denver (2nd round), Jacksonville, San Francisco, Atlanta
Francis Bernard, LB	Dallas (free agent)
Tony Bergstrom, OL	Oakland (3rd round), Houston, Baltimore, Washington, S.F.
Keaton Bills, OL	Buffalo (free agent)
Cole Bishop, DB	Buffalo (2nd round)*
Conroy Black, DB	Detroit (free agent)
Julian Blackmon, S	Indianapolis (3rd round)*
Marquise Blair, DB	Seattle (2nd round), Philadelphia
Brian Blechen, DB	Carolina (free agent), New Orleans
Garett Bolles, OT	Denver (1st round)*
Devontae Booker, RB	Denver (4th round), Las Vegas
Andy Bowers, DE	Arizona (free agent)
Sam Brenner, OL	Miami (free agent), Denver
Freddie Brown, WR	Cincinnati (7th round), Minnesota
Terrell Burgess, S	L.A. Rams (3rd round), NY Giants, Washington
Martail Burnett, DE	Minnesota (free agent), San Francisco
Brandon Burton, DB	Minnesota (5th round), Buffalo, Cincinnati
Kaelin Clay, WR	Tampa Bay (6th round), Detroit, Baltimore, Carolina, Buffalo, N.Y. Giants
Britain Covey, WR/RS	Philadelphia (free agent)*
Braeden Daniels, OL	Washington (4th Round), Dallas*
Anthony Denham, TE	Houston (free agent), Philadelphia, Arizona
Mohamoud Diabate, LB	Cleveland (free agent)*
J.J. Dielman, OL	Cincinnati (5th round), L.A. Rams, Denver, Seattle
Hunter Dimick, DE	Jacksonville (free agent)
Reggie Dunn, WR	Green Bay (free agent), Cleveland, Miami, New England, Dallas
Andre Dyson, DB	Tennessee (2nd round), Seattle, N.Y. Jets
Jonah Elliss, LB	Denver (3rd round)*
Luther Elliss, DL	Detroit (1st round), Denver
Jason Fanaika, DE	Oakland (free agent), Washington
Jonathan Fanene, DL	Cincinnati (7th round)
Steve Fifita, DL	Miami (free agent)
Kylie Fitts, DE	Chicago (6th round), Arizona
Tevita Finau, DT	Philadelphia (free agent), Dallas, N.Y. Jets
Nick Ford, OL	Jacksonville (free agent)
Cole Fotheringham, TE	Las Vegas (free agent)
Leki Fotu, DT	Arizona (4th round), N.Y. Jets*
John Frank, DL	Philadelphia (6th round)
Quinton Ganther, RB	Tennessee (7th round), Washington, Seattle, Buffalo
Matt Gay, K	Tampa Bay (5th round), L.A. Rams, Indianapolis*
Phil Glover, LB	Tennessee (7th round), Indianapolis
Javelin Guidry, DB	New York Jets (free agent), Atlanta
Chase Hansen, LB	New Orleans (free agent)
Tyler Huntley, QB	Baltimore (free agent), Miami*
Dominique Hatfield, DB	L.A. Rams (free agent), Carolina
Jaylon Johnson, CB	Chicago (2nd round)*
Robert Johnson, DB	Tennessee (5th round)
Ma’ake Kemoeatu, DL	Baltimore (free agent), Carolina, Washington
Dalton Kincaid, TE	Buffalo (1st round)*
Joe Kruger, DE	Philadelphia (7th round), Green Bay, Pittsburgh
Paul Kruger, LB	Baltimore (2nd round), Cleveland, New Orleans
Sataoa Laumea, OL	Seattle (6th round)*
Devin Lloyd, LB	Jacksonville (1st round)*
Star Lotulelei, DT	Carolina (1st round), Buffalo
John Madsen, TE	Oakland (free agent), Cleveland
Brice McCain, DB	Houston (6th round), Pittsburgh, Miami, Tennessee
Keith McGill, DB	Oakland (4th round)
Bronzell Miller, DE	St. Louis Rams (7th round), Jacksonville
Koa Misi, LB	Miami (2nd round)
Zack Moss, RB	Buffalo (5th round), Indianapolis, Cincinnati*
Jake Murphy, TE	Miami (free agent), Cincinnati
Jared Norris, LB	Carolina (free agent), Washington
Josh Nurse, CB	Baltimore (free agent), Jacksonville, Tennessee
Bamidele Olaseni, OL	Las Vegas (free agent)
Nate Orchard, DE	Cleveland (2nd round), Buffalo, Kansas City, Washington, Houston, Tennessee
Tenny Palepoi, DL	L.A. Chargers (free agent), Buffalo
Tim Patrick, WR	Denver (free agent), Detroit*
Darrin Paulo, OL	New Orleans (free agent), Denver, Detroit
John Penisini, DT	Detroit (6th round), New Orleans
Clark Phillips III, CB	Atlanta (4th round)*
TJ Pledger, RB	Arizona (free agent)
Reggie Porter, DB	Baltimore (free agent), Cleveland
Sione Pouha, DL	N.Y. Jets (3rd round)
Jeremiah Poutasi, OL	Tennessee (3rd round), Jacksonville, L.A. Rams, Denver
Hauati Pututau, DT	Green Bay (free agent)
Brett Ratliff, QB	N.Y. Jets (free agent), Cleveland, Jacksonville, New England, Tampa Bay
David Reed, WR	Baltimore (5th round), Indianapolis
Trevor Reilly, LB	N.Y. Jets (7th round), Miami, New England
Eric Rowe, DB	Philadelphia (2nd round), New England, Miami, Pittsburgh*
Antwoine Sanders, DB	Baltimore (7th round)
Lauvale Sape, DL	Buffalo (6th round)
Josh Savage, DL	Tampa Bay (free agent), Atlanta, Tennessee, New Orleans
Caleb Schlauderaff, OL	Green Bay (6th round), N.Y. Jets
Richard Seals, DL	N.Y. Jets (7th round), Jacksonville, Buffalo
Nephi Sewell, LB	New Orleans (free agent)*
Derrick Shelby, DE	Miami (free agent), Atlanta
Sealver Siliga, DT	Denver (free agent), New England, Seattle, Tampa Bay
Sean Smith, DB	Miami (2nd round), Kansas City, Oakland
Paul Soliai, DT	Miami (4th round), Atlanta, Carolina
R.J. Stanford, DB	Carolina (5th round), Miami
Tevita Stevens, OL	Washington (free agent)
Stevenson Sylvester, LB	Pittsburgh (5th round)
Mika Tafua, DE	Dallas (free agent)
Pene Talamaivao, DL	San Diego (free agent)
Kelly Talavou, DL	Seattle (free agent), Oakland, Baltimore
Pasoni Tasini, DT	Arizona (free agent)
Pita Taumoepenu, DE	San Francisco (6th round), Seattle
Zane Taylor, OL	N.Y. Jets (free agent), Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Indianapolis
Sam Tevi, OL	L.A. Chargers (6th round)
Hunter Thedford, TE	Detroit (free agent), Denver
Jason Thompson, DB	New England (free agent), Chicago, Seattle, Washington, Green Bay
Kendal Thompson, WR	Washington (free agent)
Spencer Toone, LB	Tennessee (7th round)
Salesi Uhatafe, OL	Atlanta (free agent), Detroit, Jacksonville
Sione Vaki, DB/RB	Detroit (4th round)*
Devaughn Vele, WR	Denver (7th round)*
Eric Weddle, DB	San Diego (2nd round), Baltimore, L.A. Rams
Joe Williams, RB	San Francisco (4th round)
Marcus Williams, S	New Orleans (2nd round), Baltimore*
Travis Wilson, TE	L.A. Rams (free agent)
Mitch Wishnowsky, P	San Francisco (4th round)*
Thomas Yassmin, TE	Denver (free agent)*
*Notes on Current Roster