Kyle Whittingham had been coaching the Utah Utes for the past two decades. However, he has changed his alliances to the Michigan Wolverines this off-season. Henceforth, Morgan Scalley has taken over the charge of the Utes.

During an interview with On3 Sports, Scalley discusses his new head coaching position and Whittingham's decision to leave the Utes' program.

"Did I know he would go to Michigan? No. Did I feel like he could go coach somewhere? One hundred percent," Scalley said. "He’s a good coach. And if I’m in Kyle’s shoes, he’s got to do what he feels is best for Michigan."

Whittingham joined Michigan in December last year. He had held several coaching positions in the Utes' football program before parting ways.

Whittingham signed a five-year contract with the Wolverines that will see him at Ann Arbor until 2030. He had also brought in several coaches and players from the Utes' program along with him to the Wolverines.

"So, of course, he’s going to lean on contacts. He’s going to lean on what he knows," Scalley said. "He knew our players, he knew our coaches, and he knows the recruiting environment here in Utah.”

WR Salesi Moa, EDGE John Henry Daley, DT Jonah Lea‘ea, and CB Smith Snowden have left Utah and joined Michigan. They all followed Kyle Whittingham over to Ann Arbor. This move gives Michigan some great experienced players on their roster.

Therefore, there is a lot in common between these two big houses of college football. However, Scalley's life has changed since Whittingham left the program.

Scalley Has 'Nothing But Respect' For Whittingham

Contrary to popular belief, there is a lot of respect between Utah's former and present coaches. Scalley clarified this mutual respect during his interview with On3.

"He believed in me, and I have nothing but respect and love for that man. If there’s any misconception that Morgan Scalley had anything to do with pushing him out, there’s no way," Scalley stated. "I was 100 percent loyal to him and have nothing but respect and love for him."

With Kyle Whittingham gone, Utah has now come under a new coaching shift. Scalley is now entrusted with taking this talented team forward. He has already shown that he plans to do so in his own way.

Back in March, Scalley and his wife pledged a $2 million gift to the football program. This was his way of showing their commitment to Utah's development.

Under his coaching tenure, the team completed its 15 spring practices in April, and the coach has already been evaluating personnel.

The Utes' roster also includes a new offensive line group and quarterback Devon Dampier. For Scalley, it was never about enmity or rivalry with Whittingham but thriving with the Utah program on his own.

Scalley joined under Whittingham at Michigan back in 2007. Since then, he has taken on many roles, eventually becoming the defensive coordinator in 2016.

What do you think about Whittingham and Scalley's coaching tenure? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Rishab Nandi