Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has decided to return for the 2025 college football season, marking his 21st year with the Utes. This decision followed a disappointing 5-7 campaign in 2024, which was Utah's first season in the Big 12 Conference.

Rumors of his potential retirement have been circulating, especially after the challenging 2024 season. Whittingham himself acknowledged that had the Utes won the conference championship last year, he "might not be sitting here" as head coach for 2025. He indicated that the team's poor record and the "bad taste" of the disappointing finish were a primary factor in his decision to return, as he didn't want to "step away on that note" and felt a commitment to turning the program around. Utah finished with a 2-7 Big 12 league mark and its first losing record in a decade.

While the primary publicly stated reason for his return was the disappointing season, the rivalry game against BYU is a significant factor in the team's schedule. The two rivals faced off recently, with Utah falling short to BYU, which provided a motivation for the next meeting. BYU has won the last two meetings, breaking Utah's previous long winning streak. For a coach like Whittingham, who has been with the program for over three decades in various roles and has an extensive history with the rivalry, ending his career with a win over the Cougars would be a major accomplishment. Utah has a succession plan in place, with defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley designated as the head coach-in-waiting, but Scalley will have to wait at least one more season.

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