"Utah's Head Coach Kyle Whittingham to Determine Future Following Final Game"

Veteran Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is considering the option of retiring or returning for his 21st season as the university's head coach.

Whittingham, who is 65 years old, stated that he will make his decision after the current season concludes. The Utes will finish their season on Friday against UCF.

"My choice will be based on what is best for the team, not what is best for me," Whittingham said during his press conference on Monday. "Therefore, it will be determined by what I believe is in the best interest of the program moving forward."

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Utah has struggled significantly in their first year in the Big 12 conference, losing their last seven games. Despite being predicted as preseason favorites, the Utes currently hold a 4-7 overall record and a 1-7 record in Big 12 play.

This marks only the third losing season in Whittingham's 20 years as head coach. The other two occurred in 2012 and 2013 when the Utes were part of the Pac-12 conference.

Whittingham has achieved seven seasons with 10 or more wins and has an overall record of 166-86 with the Utes since taking over for Urban Meyer in the latter part of the 2004 season.

The university has already made preparations for the future by announcing that defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley will take over as head coach whenever Whittingham decides to retire.

"I will evaluate everything thoroughly," Whittingham stated. "I can confirm that Coach Scalley will be involved in future decisions, as it is only fair for him to have a say as the coach in waiting. When the time comes, we need to ensure that he has contributed to major decisions. Therefore, it will be a team effort in terms of hiring and recruiting."

Whittingham acknowledged that not many coaches have the luxury of choosing when their tenure will end.

"As I mentioned, my decision will be based on what is best for the program," Whittingham explained. "It is extremely rare for someone to time their exit perfectly. Only a small percentage of individuals are able to do so."

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"Furthermore, I am not saying that because this was a difficult year, I have to come back and have a better year. Every coach wants to improve their performance in the following year, regardless of who is in charge."

Part of Utah's decline can be attributed to losing their star quarterback Cameron Rising to a season-ending leg injury. Rising is currently considering applying for a medical waiver that would allow him to play an eighth college season in 2025.

"That is up to Cam and his timeline," Whittingham said. "However, we will have to make our own decisions if there is still uncertainty. I believe that it will be resolved within the next week or ten days."

Freshman Isaac Wilson took over for Rising but also suffered a leg injury in the Utes' 31-28 loss to then-No. 22 Iowa State. Wilson will not play in the final game but is expected to recover in time for spring football practices.

Luke Bottari will start for Utah against UCF. In the previous game against Iowa State, he completed 5 of 9 passes for 55 yards.