Kyle Whittingham
Encyclopedia
Kyle Whittingham is the head football
coach of the University of Utah
Utes
. Prior to becoming the head coach at Utah, Whittingham served as Utah's defensive coordinator
for ten seasons. He was named head coach of Utah after Urban Meyer
left for the Florida Gators
in 2004. He won AFCA Coach of the Year
and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award in 2008.
and WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Whittingham was also named the defensive MVP of the 1981 Holiday Bowl
. He played in all of the first four Holiday Bowls. In his first appearance, he played as a running back and the other three as a linebacker, during which he recorded 27 tackles. In 2009, he was inducted into the Holiday Bowl Hall of Fame.
He graduated from BYU in 1981 and went on to play linebacker for the New Orleans Breakers of the old USFL and the Calgary Stampeders
of the CFL
. He also played for the Los Angeles Rams' replacement squad in 1987.
. In the 1995 season, Whittingham replaced his father as the defensive coordinator, serving under both Ron McBride
and Meyer until being named head coach in 2004.
team to make a BCS
bowl game, the Fiesta Bowl
. After winning the Fiesta Bowl, the Utes' overall record improved to 12–0. After the 2004 season, the Utes lost junior starting quarterback Alex Smith
to the NFL
and head coach Urban Meyer
who left to the University of Florida
. After the regular season, and before the Fiesta Bowl, Whittingham was offered the head coaching job at Utah and also the head coaching job at his alma mater
, Brigham Young University
. After struggling with the decision for four days he chose the Utes. Because Urban Meyer had already officially accepted the head coaching job at Florida before the Fiesta Bowl, Kyle and Urban acted as co-head coaches of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. The NCAA credits both Meyer and Whittingham with a win in their win totals.
, but also a new offense led by quarterback Brian Johnson
. Utah struggled early on, going 3–4 in their first 7 games, however, a strong finish gave Utah their third straight bowl invite.
In the 2005 Emerald Bowl
the Utes faced the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
. Utah beat Georgia Tech 38–10, the Yellow Jackets' worst bowl loss by point margin in school history. Whittingham finished his first year at Utah with a 7–5 record.
, running his record to 15–10 (.600) with Utah.
and starting running back Matt Asiata
broke his leg as Utah got routed 24–7 by the Beavers. The following week, wide receiver Brent Casteel was lost for the season in an embarrassing 20–12 loss at home to Air Force
.
Utah looked as if it righted the ship the following week with a 44–6 rout of No. 9 UCLA
, the highest-ranked team ever defeated by the Utes. But the following week represented the worst week of Whittingham's head coaching career—a 27–0 loss to perennial cellar-dweller UNLV
that had many wondering if Whittingham could survive as a head coach at Utah.
But like past seasons, the Utes regrouped and won seven consecutive games, using a stingy, big-play defense and the sledgehammer running attack of Darrell Mack (253 carries, 1,204 yards and 16 total touchdowns), who had been scheduled to redshirt in what was going to be his junior season. The Utes 50-0 drubbing of Wyoming proved controversial. Up 43-0 in the second half, Whittingham decided to go for an onside kick. An emotional Joe Glenn
was caught on camera giving Whittingham the bird
after the play. In the season finale, Utah suffered its second consecutive loss to rival BYU
to end the regular season, 17-10.
Whittingham and Utah overcame that disappointment to beat Navy, 35–32, in the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl
. It marked the Utes' seventh consecutive bowl victory, which placed them second to Boston College
in longest active bowl winning streaks.
, 31–17, in the 2009 Sugar Bowl
in New Orleans, Louisiana
. Along the way were wins at Michigan
, late come-from-behind wins over Oregon State
and TCU
, and a convincing victory over rival BYU
. Overall, Utah finished the regular season holding wins over three teams in the final AP Top 25.
The American Football Coaches Association selected Utah coach Kyle Whittingham as the 2008 AFCA National Coach of the Year Award
. The announcement was made at the football coaches' convention, which Whittingham attended. The AFCA award is the oldest national coach of the year award, dating back to 1935, and is the only one chosen exclusively by the coaches.
He also won the 2008 Paul "Bear" Bryant Award.
in the 2009 Poinsettia Bowl
. Whittingham helped the Utes reach these benchmarks with two new coordinators: Dave Schramm
as the offensive coordinator
and Kalani Sitake
as the defensive coordinator
. Utah's three losses came against teams that finished the season ranked: Oregon
, TCU
, and BYU
who finished the season ranked #11, 6, and 12 in the AP Poll
, respectively. Utah finished ranked #18 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll.
early in 2010.
Utah started the 2010 season with an upset of then-15th ranked Pittsburgh. The Utes then managed the third 8-0 start in program history, rising to fifth in the BCS rankings. However, during a 68-27 victory over Iowa State, Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn injured his arm and though he continued to play, the injury impacted the remainder of the season. After that 8-0 start, the Utes stumbled badly at home against the TCU Horned Frogs, lost a sloppy contest to Notre Dame and then bounced back to end the regular season with victories over San Diego State and rival Brigham Young University.
Due to the injury, Wynn, who finished the regular season in spite of his injury, missed the Las Vegas Bowl - a 26-3 loss to the Boise State Broncos. It was the program's first bowl loss since the 1996 Copper Bowl and snapped a 9-game bowl winning streak, which was, at the time, the longest active streak in college football.
The Utes finished the 2010 campaign 10-3 and 23rd in the nation. It marked the first time in program history that Utah produced three consecutive ten-win seasons.
. His father, Fred Whittingham
, played linebacker in the NFL
for nine years and then coached at the college and the pro level for almost twenty years.
Whittingham graduated from BYU with a bachelor's degree
in educational psychology
in 1982. In 1983, he married the former Jamie Daniels. Whittingham then earned a master's degree
in professional leadership
in 1986. Whittingham and his wife now have four children: Tyler, Melissa, Alex and Kylie.
Whittingham is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
were the first people to donate money to the Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship which will benefit the football program.
of the Fiesta Bowl
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach of the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
Utes
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
. Prior to becoming the head coach at Utah, Whittingham served as Utah's defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for ten seasons. He was named head coach of Utah after Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
left for the Florida Gators
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
in 2004. He won AFCA Coach of the Year
AFCA Coach of the Year
The AFCA Coach of the Year award is given annually to a college football coach by the American Football Coaches Association . The award has had several different sponors over the years, including Eastman Kodak Corporation, and thus also been named the Kodak Coach of the Year Award.-Football Bowl...
and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award in 2008.
Playing career
Whittingham played linebacker for the BYU Cougars from 1978 to 1981. In 1981 he earned first-team all-WACWAC
WAC is a three-letter acronym and may refer to:* WAC Corporal, the first U.S. sounding rocket* Walker Art Center, a modern art museum in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA...
and WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Whittingham was also named the defensive MVP of the 1981 Holiday Bowl
1981 Holiday Bowl
The 1981 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 30, 1981 in San Diego, California. It was part of the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featured the 14th ranked BYU Cougars, and the 20th ranked Washington State Cougars....
. He played in all of the first four Holiday Bowls. In his first appearance, he played as a running back and the other three as a linebacker, during which he recorded 27 tackles. In 2009, he was inducted into the Holiday Bowl Hall of Fame.
He graduated from BYU in 1981 and went on to play linebacker for the New Orleans Breakers of the old USFL and the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
of the CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He also played for the Los Angeles Rams' replacement squad in 1987.
Early coaching career
Whittingham became a graduate assistant for BYU during the 1985 and 1986 seasons. In 1987, Whittingham was named defensive coordinator at the College of Eastern Utah. He coached there for a season before taking a job at Idaho State. After two seasons with Idaho State, Whittingham joined the Utah staff as defensive line coach, working alongside his father, Fred WhittinghamFred Whittingham
Fred George "Mad Dog" Whittingham was an American football linebacker in the National Football League for nine years on various teams including the Los Angeles Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the New Orleans Saints. He played college football at Brigham Young University and California...
. In the 1995 season, Whittingham replaced his father as the defensive coordinator, serving under both Ron McBride
Ron McBride
Ron McBride is the current head coach of Weber State University's football team. Coach "Mac" has over 40 years of coaching experience, including 13 years as head coach at the University of Utah....
and Meyer until being named head coach in 2004.
Head coaching career
The 2004 season ended with Utah becoming the first non-BCS conferenceBCS conference
An Automatic Qualifying conference is an athletic conference in NCAA Division I FBS whose champion receives an automatic berth in one of the five Bowl Championship Series bowl games...
team to make a BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
bowl game, the Fiesta Bowl
2005 Fiesta Bowl
The 2005 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2005, was the 34th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game was played between Utah and Pittsburgh, in front of 73,519 fans. It is notable for being the first BCS game to feature a team from a non-BCS conference, and the only BCS bowl to feature a...
. After winning the Fiesta Bowl, the Utes' overall record improved to 12–0. After the 2004 season, the Utes lost junior starting quarterback Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
to the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and head coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
who left to the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. After the regular season, and before the Fiesta Bowl, Whittingham was offered the head coaching job at Utah and also the head coaching job at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. After struggling with the decision for four days he chose the Utes. Because Urban Meyer had already officially accepted the head coaching job at Florida before the Fiesta Bowl, Kyle and Urban acted as co-head coaches of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl. The NCAA credits both Meyer and Whittingham with a win in their win totals.
2005
Whittingham's first season was an up and down ride for Utah as the team not only adjusted to a new coaching staff, including Andy LudwigAndy Ludwig
Andy Ludwig is the offensive coordinator at the San Diego State University. He played college football at Snow College and Portland State graduating in 1988.- Coaching career :...
, but also a new offense led by quarterback Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson (quarterback)
Brian Delance Johnson is an American football quarterbacks coach for the University of Utah. He played college football at Utah and was drafted by the New York Sentinels in the UFL Premiere Season Draft in 2009....
. Utah struggled early on, going 3–4 in their first 7 games, however, a strong finish gave Utah their third straight bowl invite.
In the 2005 Emerald Bowl
2005 Emerald Bowl
The 2005 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2005-06 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 29, 2005, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California. It featured the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and the Utah Utes.-Game summary:...
the Utes faced the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
2005 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2005 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2005-2006. The team's coach is former Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans coach Chan Gailey...
. Utah beat Georgia Tech 38–10, the Yellow Jackets' worst bowl loss by point margin in school history. Whittingham finished his first year at Utah with a 7–5 record.
2006
In 2006, Whittingham's team faced a degree of adversity. Starting quarterback Brett Ratliff struggled through parts of the year, and so did the Utes. Like the year before, the Utes rebounded toward the end of the season, but lost to rival BYU at home by a score of 33–31. The Utes became bowl eligible for the fourth straight year, a school record. Whittingham led the Utes to a 25–13 victory over the in the 2006 Armed Forces Bowl2006 Armed Forces Bowl
The 2006 edition to the Armed Forces Bowl, the 4th edition , featured the , and the Utah Utes, both former members of the Western Athletic Conference...
, running his record to 15–10 (.600) with Utah.
2007
2007 would provide more adversity. In Johnson's first start since 2005, he broke his collarbone against Oregon State2007 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2007 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team's head coach is Mike Riley. Home games are played at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon.-Season notes:...
and starting running back Matt Asiata
Matt Asiata
Matt Asiata is a American football running back who is a currently a free agent. He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft, He played college football at Utah.-High school:...
broke his leg as Utah got routed 24–7 by the Beavers. The following week, wide receiver Brent Casteel was lost for the season in an embarrassing 20–12 loss at home to Air Force
2007 Air Force Falcons football team
The 2007 United States Air Force Academy Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy in the college football season of 2007–2008, getting second place in the Mountain West Conference, and losing the Armed Forces Bowl to California...
.
Utah looked as if it righted the ship the following week with a 44–6 rout of No. 9 UCLA
2007 UCLA Bruins football team
The 2007 UCLA Bruins football team represented UCLA in the college football 2007-2008 season. They played their home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California and were coached by Karl Dorrell for the regular season. It was Dorrell's fifth, and final season as the UCLA head coach. UCLA's...
, the highest-ranked team ever defeated by the Utes. But the following week represented the worst week of Whittingham's head coaching career—a 27–0 loss to perennial cellar-dweller UNLV
2007 UNLV Rebels football team
The 2007 UNLV Rebels football team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2007 season. The season saw the Rebels win only 2 games for the third consecutive season.-Schedule:...
that had many wondering if Whittingham could survive as a head coach at Utah.
But like past seasons, the Utes regrouped and won seven consecutive games, using a stingy, big-play defense and the sledgehammer running attack of Darrell Mack (253 carries, 1,204 yards and 16 total touchdowns), who had been scheduled to redshirt in what was going to be his junior season. The Utes 50-0 drubbing of Wyoming proved controversial. Up 43-0 in the second half, Whittingham decided to go for an onside kick. An emotional Joe Glenn
Joe Glenn
Joe Glenn may refer to:*Joe Glenn , American football coach*Joe Glenn , Major League catcher...
was caught on camera giving Whittingham the bird
The Bird
"The Bird" is a song from The Time's third album, Ice Cream Castle. The song was initially recorded in the studio in 1983 with all instruments by Prince, except guitar, which was performed by Jesse Johnson. This version was replaced by a live recording with the full band at the First Avenue on...
after the play. In the season finale, Utah suffered its second consecutive loss to rival BYU
2007 BYU Cougars football team
The 2007 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2007 college football season.In this year BYU clinched its second consecutive Mountain West Conference championship title outright after defeating Utah on 24 November...
to end the regular season, 17-10.
Whittingham and Utah overcame that disappointment to beat Navy, 35–32, in the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl
2007 Poinsettia Bowl
The 2007 Poinsettia Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Navy Midshipmen and the Utah Utes on December 20, 2007 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Utah defeated Navy 35–32 in a game that came down to the final seconds. It was one of 32 games in the...
. It marked the Utes' seventh consecutive bowl victory, which placed them second to Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
in longest active bowl winning streaks.
2008
In 2008, Utah completed an undefeated regular season and qualified for a BCS Bowl. Utah defeated Alabama2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2008 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 76th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference and its 17th within the SEC Western Division...
, 31–17, in the 2009 Sugar Bowl
2009 Sugar Bowl
The 2009 Allstate Sugar Bowl was the 75th annual edition of the annual college football bowl game that is part of the 2008–09 bowl season of the Bowl Championship Series 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. Along the way were wins at Michigan
2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach was Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
, late come-from-behind wins over Oregon State
2008 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2008 Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's head coach is Mike Riley...
and TCU
2008 TCU Horned Frogs football team
The 2008 TCU Horned Frogs football team represented Texas Christian University in the 2008 college football season. The team was coached by Gary Patterson. The Frogs played their home games at Amon G. Carter Stadium, which is located on campus in Fort Worth...
, and a convincing victory over rival BYU
2008 BYU Cougars football team
The 2008 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2008 college football season.Prior to the 2008 season, BYU had won consecutive Mountain West Conference championship titles without losing a conference game. It had also finished with an 11-2 overall record for...
. Overall, Utah finished the regular season holding wins over three teams in the final AP Top 25.
The American Football Coaches Association selected Utah coach Kyle Whittingham as the 2008 AFCA National Coach of the Year Award
AFCA Coach of the Year
The AFCA Coach of the Year award is given annually to a college football coach by the American Football Coaches Association . The award has had several different sponors over the years, including Eastman Kodak Corporation, and thus also been named the Kodak Coach of the Year Award.-Football Bowl...
. The announcement was made at the football coaches' convention, which Whittingham attended. The AFCA award is the oldest national coach of the year award, dating back to 1935, and is the only one chosen exclusively by the coaches.
He also won the 2008 Paul "Bear" Bryant Award.
2009
In 2009, Utah had its second consecutive 10-win season. They finished with a 10–3 (6–2 MWC) record and a 37–27 win over California2009 California Golden Bears football team
The 2009 California Golden Bears football team represented the University of California, Berkeley in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition during the 2009 season...
in the 2009 Poinsettia Bowl
2009 Poinsettia Bowl
The 2009 San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl was the fifth edition of the college football bowl game and was played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The game started at 5 PM US PST on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 on ESPN. The Utah Utes defeated the California Golden Bears...
. Whittingham helped the Utes reach these benchmarks with two new coordinators: Dave Schramm
Dave Schramm (American football)
Dave Schramm is from San Diego, California and is currently the running backs coach for the University of Utah Utes football team...
as the offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and Kalani Sitake
Kalani Sitake
Kalani Sitake is from Nukuʻalofa, Tonga and is currently the defensive coordinator for the University of Utah Utes football team. He played college football as a fullback for Brigham Young and graduated in 2000.-Coaching career:...
as the defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. Utah's three losses came against teams that finished the season ranked: Oregon
2009 Oregon Ducks football team
The 2009 Oregon Ducks football team represented the University of Oregon in the college football season of 2009. The team was led by head coach Chip Kelly in his first season as a head coach at the Division I FBS level. Kelly was only the third Ducks head coach since 1977 and led the Ducks to a...
, TCU
2009 TCU Horned Frogs football team
The 2009 TCU Horned Frogs football team represented Texas Christian University in the 2009 college football season. The team was coached by Gary Patterson. The Frogs played their home games at Amon G. Carter Stadium, which is located on campus in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs finished the season...
, and BYU
2009 BYU Cougars football team
The 2009 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 2009 football season. The Cougars were led by head coach Bronco Mendenhall and played their home games at LaVell Edwards Stadium....
who finished the season ranked #11, 6, and 12 in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
, respectively. Utah finished ranked #18 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll.
2010
Kyle Whittingham turned down the head coaching position at TennesseeTennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
early in 2010.
Utah started the 2010 season with an upset of then-15th ranked Pittsburgh. The Utes then managed the third 8-0 start in program history, rising to fifth in the BCS rankings. However, during a 68-27 victory over Iowa State, Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn injured his arm and though he continued to play, the injury impacted the remainder of the season. After that 8-0 start, the Utes stumbled badly at home against the TCU Horned Frogs, lost a sloppy contest to Notre Dame and then bounced back to end the regular season with victories over San Diego State and rival Brigham Young University.
Due to the injury, Wynn, who finished the regular season in spite of his injury, missed the Las Vegas Bowl - a 26-3 loss to the Boise State Broncos. It was the program's first bowl loss since the 1996 Copper Bowl and snapped a 9-game bowl winning streak, which was, at the time, the longest active streak in college football.
The Utes finished the 2010 campaign 10-3 and 23rd in the nation. It marked the first time in program history that Utah produced three consecutive ten-win seasons.
2011
Utah is currently in its inaugural season in the Pac-12 Conference.Personal life
Whittingham was born on November 21, 1959 in San Luis Obispo, CaliforniaSan Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...
. His father, Fred Whittingham
Fred Whittingham
Fred George "Mad Dog" Whittingham was an American football linebacker in the National Football League for nine years on various teams including the Los Angeles Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the New Orleans Saints. He played college football at Brigham Young University and California...
, played linebacker in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for nine years and then coached at the college and the pro level for almost twenty years.
Whittingham graduated from BYU with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in educational psychology
Educational psychology
Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Educational psychology is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing...
in 1982. In 1983, he married the former Jamie Daniels. Whittingham then earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in professional leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
in 1986. Whittingham and his wife now have four children: Tyler, Melissa, Alex and Kylie.
Whittingham is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Philanthropy
In 2008, Whittingham and former Utah head coach Urban MeyerUrban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
were the first people to donate money to the Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Joseph B. Wirthlin
Joseph Bitner Wirthlin was an American businessman, religious leader and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was sustained to the Quorum on October 4, 1986, and ordained an apostle on October 9, 1986 by Thomas S. Monson, following the...
Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship which will benefit the football program.
Head coaching record
* Was Co-head coach with Urban MeyerUrban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
of the Fiesta Bowl
2005 Fiesta Bowl
The 2005 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, played on January 1, 2005, was the 34th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game was played between Utah and Pittsburgh, in front of 73,519 fans. It is notable for being the first BCS game to feature a team from a non-BCS conference, and the only BCS bowl to feature a...