November 20, 2021, Salt Lake City, UT:
The University of Utah Utes Football team takes on the University of Oregon Ducks at the Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, November 20, 2021.
(Photo by Nick Grace/University of Utah)

Coach of the Year

Kyle Whittingham

Football, University of Utah

As the longest tenured coach in Pac-12 and second-longest in NCAA FBS, Kyle Whittingham’s 2021 season was his 17^th as the head coach for Utah Football. Kyle has a 144-70 career record and 11-4 bowl record, with the Utes finishing 15 of those years in a winning record.

However, stats don’t write the full story. Coach Whittingham has a reputation for helping players develop their potential and creating a family-like culture on and off the field. Over the years, 99 of Kyle’s players have signed contracts with NFL teams, including 14 first or second round selections, and 30 players have gotten the All-America nod. And in 2021, “family on 3” truly came to life as Coach Whittingham rallied the team together after the passing of Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe.