Thundering down the road on a Harley Davidson, sporting a sleeveless tank top and Ray Ban sunglasses, Coach Kyle Whittingham rolled onto ESPN’s Pat McAfee’s College GameDay Show on U of U’s President’s Circle. If there was a soundtrack to the scene, it would almost certainly be some 80s rock song, perhaps Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird: “And this bird you cannot change.” 

McAfee introduces Whittingham as “An absolute dawg of a head coach for Utah! Pac-12 Champion for the Utah Utes football team." Coach makes his dramatic entrance onto the massive ESPN installment stage for the show. The crowd of several thousand chants, "Arm wrestle! Arm wrestle! Arm wrestle!" McAfee puts his arm out and is quickly dispatched by Whittingham.

Twenty years, twenty seasons — 88 straight sellouts at the Rice-Eccles stadium. "He's a hell of a coach," gushed McAfee in the Fall of 2023. This was the scene last season before the OSU game. Today, facing recent trials, Whittingham and his leaders must be thinking, Does this bird need to change? 

The current season has been one of the most challenging in recent history with a series of blows and tough losses. There was the loss of quarterback Cameron Rising due to injury, the resignation of longtime offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig, and losing to BYU in a nailbiter finish was another.

The big story, however, is that the University of Utah Utes are still recognized as one of the top recruiting and top player development programs in the country. Maybe players can find bigger schools with more notoriety, but the Ute program has proven itself by developing good players into elite players.  

Whittingham’s knack for finding young athletes with unrecognized potential and transforming them into top athletes is renowned. The list of players who found success in the NFL is long and impressive: Alex Smith (quarterback), Eric Weddle (safety), Star Lotulelei (defensive tackle), Nate Orchard (defensive end), Devin Lloyd (linebacker), Zack Moss (running back), Mitch Wishnowsky (punter), Britain Covey (wide receiver), Tyler Huntley (quarterback), Bradlee Anae (defensive end), and Isaac Asiata (offensive lineman), Jonah Ellis (linebacker), and many more.

More important is the stellar work ethic and culture Whittingahm and his crew have built, which every aspiring business leader can learn from, producing not just elite athletes, but elite people. Men who will be prepared for life after college, with or without an NFL contract. 

The visit by ESPN’s signature college football show last year was indicative of the program’s success. Watching the Utes win is easy, capturing even a few of the leadership and culture secrets that make Whittingham such a great coach is not easy. 

What ethos and philosophy has produced such consistent results both on and off the football field? Obviously, Coach’s demeanor and attitude (on most days) can be summed up into three words: positive contagious energy.

"I'm not doing it till the day I die,” Whittingham says. “As soon as I run out of passion and energy, I'll step down.” In 2023 before the Oregon State game, he said, “As of right now, I have more passion and energy than I've ever had." His dedication is contagious. Even at age 64, Whittingham pounds the weights right beside his players, working out six days a week consecutively for the past eight years. He doesn’t just talk about discipline, he demonstrates it every day. But is his passion waning? 

Regarding the recent losses, Coach is succinct: "We don't like to ever see that happen around here." 

The recent trials are all a part of the short story. The long story of Coach Whittingam interweaves with the history and growth of the game. He witnessed his father grow up in the NFL’s early years. Fred “Mad Dog” Whittingham was the ultimate old-school middle linebacker, functioning as father, coach and mentor. 

Father’s Influence

No person can understand Whittingham’s philosophy and ethos without first understanding his father, Fred. As “a man’s man,” Fred was quiet and reserved, but studious when it came to the game. He had a huge football IQ, dreaming up plays, formations, and how to use large men to stop offensive attacks: “

When he was just eleven, young Kyle wore his father’s shoes to school. At size 13, they were six sizes too large, but following in his father’s footsteps was always young Kyle’s motivation. Fred raised his sons Freddie and Kyle on toughness and football. Freddie Whittingham has been a top recruiter and tight end coach for the Utes for the past eight seasons. 

Fred personally coached his son Kyle as defensive coordinator at BYU when he landed the job. This position solidified the family’s BYU connections under the great Coach LaVelle Edwards. His exceptional mind for the game began to materialize into a second career when he was chosen to coach under LaVelle Edwards at BYU in ‘73. Fred eventually shaped into a father and an excellent role model for his five children. 

Two inches shorter than his father, Kyle Whittingham had to work exceptionally hard to earn his father's respect. Still, at 230 pounds and six feet tall, he shaped his body into a tank that could tackle with exceptional power. Whittingham’s work ethic made him a standout. He pummeled players on the line and embraced training with weights that built the physique required to get past offensive linebackers to get sacks and “create plays”. 

Recruiting Philosophy Talent vs. Character

The greatest legacy under Whittingham has been the Utes' incredible recruiting record. As most pundits point out, the Utes don’t attract the very top talent, but they have a knack for finding players who they can nurture and train into top-tier, five-star talent. 

Whittingham's top priority has always been character over talent. Dedication in the gym, in practice, and “doing the work” is what makes the Utes consistently great.

Drafted by the Denver Broncos last year, Jonah Ellis is an example of the program’s ability to develop talent. Ellis has become an outstanding force on Denver’s defense due to his strong discipline on and off the field, as well as his work ethic. Ellis is the son of former Ute and NFL star Luther Ellis, who also played for the Utes. How does the coach lead? In his own words, this is what he said at the All Poly summer football camp:

“When we recruit you, we are going to go to your head coach and ask him, ‘Can we trust you? Can we trust that guy to make the right decisions on and off the field?’ If he doesn't tell us yes, you aren't going to get recruited.” 

“What is a leader? Somebody who sets the standard by living the standard and then demands that your teammates live up to that standard. That's being an elite player and being an elite person. Every snap you play, you are signing your name to that play. You have got to bust your butt, and you have to bust your butt on a consistent basis."

Another example of this exceptional ethos is Bryson Barnes. As a Millford, Utah native, Barnes was raised on a pig farm and walked on in 2020. What Barnes lacked in stature was made up for in toughness. When Rising was out due to injury, Barnes stepped up and created an infectious energy on the field, leading the team in victories at the beginning of the 2023 season. “They are steady, consistent and they put in the physical work to remain one of the most physical teams in college football,” Spencer Hall said on his "Big Dumb Football" podcast. Hall added, “The Utes have never been able to get the top quartile of talent, but they are a unique quantity.” The Utes don’t shy away from recruiting talent out of rough neighborhoods or tough family circumstances, including gang backgrounds.

Coaches Who Have Made the Biggest Impact

Whitingham says he is very fortunate to have worked under such a variety of coaching talent prior to taking the helm. “Ron McBride was a masterful recruiter,” says Whittingham, recalling what he learned from past coaches he worked with. “Gary Anderson is a coach who is able to develop a rapport with players.” On LaVelle Edwards, he said, "As a freshman, I was questioning whether I was good enough to be able to play. Coach Edwards took me aside and said exactly the right thing at exactly the right time," Whittingham remembers. Saying the right thing at the right time and doing the right thing when tragedy strikes has been a hallmark of the Utes’ ethos.

In the fall of 2021, Ute players Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe died in separate incidents. Both men were memorialized in games for the rest of the season. Their tragic deaths were both due to gun violence. This came as a reminder that the culture surrounding the game — fame, money, accolades, spotlights, endorsements — are all distractions from the program’s focus on fundamentals. Giving all the players free trucks this season can’t help in maintaining focus, but that is the reality of the game today.

Money’s Influence on the Game

For better or worse, players now have the ability to take big NIL deals (Name, Image and Likeness). It’s a necessary part of recruiting top players. For purists who believe this has ruined the game, ask yourself why a player would turn down a potential few million dollars in college if they don’t stand to earn it in the pros?

All 85 scholarship Utes received brand new RAM Trucks this season. Pushing these deals has created million-dollar student athletes. The famous son of Coach Prime Deion Sanders at Colorado, Shedeur Sanders is receiving $6.5 million from his NIL deal. Mixing money into packages changes the formula for recruiting top talent, even if character is still the top priority. 

The game today is a far cry from the Rice-Eccles games I attended as a kid on the cold metal bleachers with my Grandpa, but the TV contracts, video games, and product endorsements are all huge. The program’s earnings are a whopping $92.4 million, with $47 million in earnings. Earnings don’t decrease the huge tuition at the U, but go back into the athletic department budget.

According to Sports Illustrated, Coach Whittingham is both the highest paid state employee and the highest paid coach in the PAC 12 with a $6.5 million salary. While that may sound enormous, in perspective, Whittingham’s salary is the 29th highest in the nation. The program is committed to his leadership, and they understand the need to demonstrate that through compensation. 

Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley received a base pay of $2 million. According to reports from ESPN, the USC Trojans tried to hire Scalley away for the same position in Los Angeles, but the longtime Ute stayed in Salt Lake City. The money likely made the decision easy, and a car stipend and a country club membership was icing on the cake. Scalley  has been chosen to be Whittingham’s successor when he chooses to step down. Even when Whittingham does retire, he will remain on board in an advisory role and receive $995K, according to the SL Tribune. Despite the money, it's the heart that matters.

The Coach certainly cares about his players and has made a massive impact on many of their lives. At the beginning of the season, the Utes were picked as the number one team in their conference. But from the PAC 12 to the Big 12, there has been 40% more travel than in the past. 

Marriage and Family Values

Whittingham has been married to his wife Jamie for 47 years. They have raised four children: Tyler, Melissa, Alex and Kylie. He now has eight grandchildren. When asked how he keeps such a soft heart while playing such a hard game, he credited it all to his father. "He's the best pure football coach that I have ever been around,” Whittingham said proudly. Will Kyle and the Utes recover from this severe season and setback? 

  Like my dad says, "Maybe great guys have bad years. Maybe they recover. Maybe they don't. Everybody is human.”