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NCAAF College Football Coaching Carousel Morgan Scalley follows in the footsteps of Kyle Whittingham, who spent the last 21 years leading the Utah football program. Rick Bowmer / Associated Press Morgan Scalley is no longer a head coach-in-waiting. Utah announced Saturday that its longtime defensive coordinator will succeed Kyle Whittingham as the program’s next football coach, completing a changing of the guard that had been in motion for quite some time. Whittingham revealed a day earlier that he will step down as the Utes coach after 21 years. And now Scalley, once a safety under Whittingham at Utah, will follow the same path as his predecessor, who was a defensive coordinator under Ron Mc Bride and Urban Meyer in Salt Lake City before assuming control of the program in 2005. ? ?? ?‼️ Join us in welcoming the 24th ? ?? ? ? ?? ?? in program history, Morgan Scalley! ? https: //t. co/i Gw Ve Yf Xu L#Go Utes | @RSNBUtes pic. twitter. com/b8Vfl E5Wv G — Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 13, 2025 “Morgan Scalley has proven over the course of his outstanding coaching and playing career at the University of Utah that he is uniquely equipped to take over as the program’s next leader, ” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in a news release. “He not only has great knowledge and perspective of what makes Utah football special, but his passion and love for the University of Utah position him to carry the mantle of leadership forward and continue the program’s legacy of success. ” Advertisement Scalley agreed to an amended contract that made him the “head coach-in-waiting” on Nov. 23, 2023, and he was scheduled to make at least $5 million a year upon promotion. It was the second time the 46-year-old was given that title. The first agreement was rescinded in June 2020, however, after an external investigation found that Scalley sent a text message containing a racial slur. A screenshot of the text, in which Scalley used a slur to describe four players he recruited from Texas in 2013, was posted on social media, and placed doubt on whether he’d get another shot at the job. That doubt was scuttled four years later, when the school announced a second agreement in July 2024. “Being a part of the Utah Football Program was a childhood dream of mine that has turned into an incredible 25-year journey that I am blessed to say is continuing, ” Scalley said in a statement released by the school. “… My coaching journey began when Kyle Whittingham decided to take a chance on me in 2008. I am forever indebted to him for believing in me and giving me opportunity after opportunity to grow in this profession. He has mentored me, inspired me, and given me a vision for the future of the Utah Football Program, and I am ready and excited to see it through. ” Scalley was a starting safety on the 2004 team that finished 13-0 and No. 4 in the final AP poll after beating Pittsburgh 35-7 in the Fiesta Bowl. He has spent the past 18 seasons on Whittingham’s staff, including the last 10 as the Utes’ defensive coordinator. During that time, he established himself as one of the top defensive minds in the country. His latest unit was 16th in scoring defense in FBS at 18. 7 points allowed per game. “I really believe in Morgan Scalley, ” Whittingham told The Athletic in January 2023. “I believe Morgan Scalley is one of the best football coaches I’ve been around. I don’t think it’s any secret that I think he deserves to be next in line. I think he’s earned it and he deserves it and is very capable. ” The Utes (10-2) will cap their season — and Whittingham his Utah tenure — in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31 against Nebraska (7-5). Matt Schubert is a Deputy Managing Editor for The Athletic's Daily Desk. He previously worked as Sports Editor for The Denver Post as part of a winding journalism career that also included stops in Washington, Nebraska and Indiana. He is a graduate of Arizona State University, where he was also a failed rugby player. Follow Matt on Twitter @Matt DSchubert