“I probably won't be in this chair”: Kyle Whittingham drops massive hint about his future at Utah amid transition rumors

Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham dropped a massive hint about his future as the head coach of the football program. Whittingham has been the head coach of the Utes since the 2005 season.

Whittingham, 64, previously said he wouldn't coach past 65. However, he now has a firm timeline for his retirement, as he says he won't be coaching Utah when they kick off the 2027 season against Miami.

"I probably won’t be sitting here in this chair, but somebody will,” Whittingham said at the Big 12 media day.

With Whittingham saying he won't coach in 2027, he has a maximum of three years left as Utah's head coach. However, Whittingham says he isn't exactly sure when he will retire, as he plans on taking it day by day.

“As to when that happens? That is a great question,” Whittingham said of his impending retirement. “I’m just taking it day by day. I’m as excited and enthused about the season as I’ve ever been.

"A lot of that is the excitement of going into a new conference, the challenge and new opportunity, but it’s just going to be a day-by-day process. I’m not getting any younger, but at the same time I feel like I have a lot of energy right now.”

As a head coach, Whittingham has only worked for Utah in college football and has led the program to a 162-79 record. He will lead the Utes to the Big 12 this season after helping Utah win the Pac-12 in 2021 and 2022.

Kyle Whittingham calls Morgan Scalley the right man for the job

When Kyle Whittingham retires as head coach of the Utah Utes, current defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley would be the ideal fit, per the head coach.

“Without a doubt, he’s the right choice to become the head coach at the University of Utah where that transition takes place,” Whittingham said of Scalley. “He is a Utah guy.

“He does a great job building relationships with the players and working with their families. He’s direct, honest and families really appreciate that. His track record as far as player development speaks for itself and recruits are very impressed with what he’s done.”

Scalley has been at Utah since 2006 and has been the defensive coordinator since 2016.

Utah will open its 2024 college football season at home on August 29 against Southern Utah.