Nothing should change for Utes with new head coach in charge

Nothing should change. Especially when their feet hit a field. Utah football has for decades been more about the program than anything else.

It will continue to be so under new head coach Morgan Scalley.

The No. 15 Utes meet Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl on Wednesday at Allegiant Stadium and will do so with a new name running the sideline. A new name that is an old one.

Scalley has been head-coach-in-waiting since 2019 and yet his time as the one in charge was accelerated by one game.

That occurred when former coach Kyle Whittingham was hired as coach at Michigan on Friday.

So it will be Scalley deciding when to call timeout or when to go for it on fourth down against Nebraska.

“We have an amazing staff and we’ve been prepared for the transition for some time now,” Scalley said. “Our staff understands this is all about the players. The kids have been fantastic. They knew transition was coming. Our guys are very excited and understand the implications of this game.”

Unique day

One is that Utah can secure 11 wins in a season for the fourth time in school history. Another is that the Scalley Era — even though the new head coach has been a player, assistant and defensive coordinator for the Utes — begins.

“I don’t think anyone is going to forget this day,” senior linebacker Lander Barton said of Whittingham taking the Michigan job. “It’s a unique day. But we’re here to play in and win a bowl game. We can have fun at all the events, but when it comes to practice and the game, it’s all business. We want to win this game and nothing is going to stop us from doing that. Whatever happens, there will be a game.

“This is my last game at Utah so it will be kind of cool to play one under Coach Scalley and to experience what that will be like.”

Said offensive lineman Jaren Kump: “As soon as we cross those lines, it’s all about ball and we need to focus on what we need to do. We want to come out of this with good memories from the game itself. It was a little strange but we expected all of this. I’m grateful and fortunate to have played my whole career under Kyle Whittingham. I’m excited to play a game under Coach Scalley.”

Whittingham went 177-88 in 21 seasons at Utah but in no way said he was retiring upon announcing he was stepping down from his position with the Utes. He even joked about entering the transfer portal.

In terms of the Las Vegas Bowl, officials see no difference in Scalley coaching the Utes than had Whittingham remained to do so.

National attention

“I don’t think it changes anything for us at all,” Las Vegas Bowl executive director John Saccenti said. “(Scalley) has been on staff for several years and he has the trust of his players. He has the trust of the administration. He was the coach-in-waiting. There are no surprises.

“I actually think it helps us a little with the national attention on the game. Maybe a bunch of Utah fans want to come here and support (Scalley) in his first game as head coach. The players believe in Morgan. They buy into Morgan. It’s going to be fine.”

When asked what he learned most from Whittingham, Scalley asked if a reporter had five hours or so.

“I’ve been with him for a long time,” Scalley said. “He coached me and took me from the offense to the defense and breathed life into me as a player. He expressed his belief in me as a coach. What I’ve learned about being a coach and a professional and as a human being and man, I learned from Kyle Whittingham.”

Nothing should change. Especially when their feet hit a field.

Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.