There’s no doubt in Kyle Whittingahm’s mind that Morgan Scalley is the right person to take over as head coach at Utah after his retirement.
Last month, Utah publicly announced what had been official since November of last year, when Scalley signed a contract extension that restored his “head coach in waiting” title.
When Scalley will take over as the head coach, which will be the first head coaching change at Utah in two decades or more, is dependent on when Whittingham calls it a career.
Heading into a new conference, and a new challenge, for the third time as a head coach, the 64-year-old is as “excited and enthused about the season” as he’s ever been.
Speaking at Big 12 media days in Las Vegas last week, Whittingham said that it’s a “day by day” process for him, and Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said that “whenever he’s ready, he’ll let me know.”
When that day arrives is up to Whittingham, but he did offer somewhat of a timeframe, saying he would “probably won’t be sitting here” at Allegiant Stadium when the Utes open the 2027 season against Miami in Las Vegas.
That means that after this season, Scalley is likely just two years — or less — away from filling the giant shoes Whittingham will leave behind and inheriting his dream job.
‘A Utah guy’
There’s few that know football in the state of Utah as deeply as Scalley, who has spent all of his football life in Salt Lake City.
“First of all, Morgan Scalley is an exceptional football coach. He’s a proven commodity. He’s a Utah guy, played high school ball in the state of Utah, played at Utah, jumped right into coaching at the University of Utah when he was done playing. He’s invested in this program as much as anybody ever has been,” Whittingham said last week.
Scalley first drew attention while starring at Highland High and winning the Deseret News’ first-ever Mr. Football award.
”It’s very rare you get the complete package of everything like he has. He has the best combo of balance, vision, strength and speed as any kid I’ve ever seen,” Highland coach Larry Wilson told prep sports editor Jody Genessy in 1997.
A two-way player for the Rams, Scalley rushed for 1,647 yards and 19 touchdowns on 151 carries and added 22 catches for 466 yards during his senior season. He was similarly impressive on the defensive side of the ball, with three interceptions and 39 solo tackles.
He even returned kickoffs and punts for the Rams, ending his career with 5,505 all-purpose yards and 54 touchdowns in just two years of varsity football.
In a September game against West, Scalley showed off the speed that would make him a highly effective safety at Utah and a two-time All-Mountain West Conference selection as a punt returner, taking a punt 97 yards to the house and cementing his name in the UHSAA record books to this day.
Out of high school, he committed to Ron McBride and Utah – the same school that his father, Bud, played at — and after serving a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission in Germany, returned in 2001 to start his college career.
Listed as a wide receiver in 2001, Scalley mostly returned punts during his freshman year, returning 26 for 249 yards, and even had a stint as the kick returner — four returns for 77 yards.
Though he wanted to play on offense during his time on the Hill, by the time his sophomore season hit, defensive coordinator Whittingham was looking to use him on defense, and Scalley accepted his new role at safety.
He continued to field punts — 24 for 270 yards — and even did punting himself for Utah, when the Utes “employed an unusual “rugby punt” scheme with Scalley having the option of running the ball or punting on the run like he did in high school as a rugby player,” against Colorado State, the Deseret News’ Mike Sorensen reported.
Scalley also saw the field as a backup safety, making eight tackles on the season.
When Urban Meyer showed up from Bowling Green in 2003, he took an instant liking to Scalley, elevating him to the starting free safety position, and Scalley rewarded him for that decision. He was named to the All-Mountain West second-team in 2003 after one of the most successful seasons in school history to that point — a 10-2 record and an outright Mountain West championship. One of the most consistent performers on that team, Scalley racked up 73 tackles, a sack, forced two fumbles and recovered a pair, and had two interceptions.
An excellent student in the classroom, where he was a two-time first-team Academic All-American, Scalley also showed the football smarts and the long hours in the film room that he’d become famous for as a coach while playing at Utah. He’d also refine his leadership skills as a team captain.
In helping Utah to a 12-0 season, capped by being the first team from a non-automatic-qualifying conference to “bust down” the BCS door and defeat Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, Scalley earned second-team All-American honors and was named the Mountain West’s co-defensive player of the year.
He was everywhere on the field for the undefeated Utes, leading the Utes’ defense with 51 tackles, 2.5 sacks, six interceptions, two pass breakups and even a blocked…
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