Morgan Scalley reveals when he wanted to take over for Kyle Whittingham at Utah

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There was always a plan for Morgan Scalley to take over for Kyle Whittingham in Utah. When it finally happened, nobody could have predicted the two would be head coaches of major programs at the same time.

Whittingham wasn't done coaching, but often says that he didn't want to "overstay" his welcome. This led to his resignation and eventually taking over at Michigan, which was a traditional powerhouse program embroiled in scandal after Sherrone Moore was fired.

Scalley stayed to take over at his alma mater. One of the places he's called home over the last quarter-century. This journey became personal for Scalley, who was asked by Whittingham what his future goals were when he was hired as an assistant in 2008.

Scalley said he wanted to be a defensive coordinator within five years and a head coach by Year 10. Left unsaid: Scalley wanted those jobs at his alma mater, according to ESPN. 

What was Whittingham's response?

"[Whittingham's] like, 'Oh, that's very aspirational,' but that was my goal," Scalley told ESPN. "Looking back at it, yeah, it was probably aspirational, because I had so much to learn and so much growing to do, but I knew I wanted to be here, and I wanted to take this place to the highest level possible."

This was a rough timeline of when Scalley predicted Whittingham would be ready to retire from coaching. However, Scalley's journey to the top came with a few bumps. He was named as the Utes' coach-in-waiting, but the title was taken away after he used a racial slur in a text message. This lasted about four years before Whittingham eventually reinstated the title.

Sources close to the situation say Utah officials thought Whittingham would be retiring after the 2024 season. When that didn't happen, the window for a transfer of power was slowly vanishing. Scalley was ready to usher Utah football into a new era, but Whittingham was ready to relinquish power over the program.

Nevertheless, the situation worked out on both sides. Scalley moves forward in a position that he's always wanted. Whittingham is currently the highest-paid coach in college football in between what Utah and Michigan are paying him over the next two years. He also takes over a prestigious program established on tradition similar to how he built Utah over the past two decades.

Scally enters his first season leading a Utah program that could be a dark horse to compete at the next level. Given the history of Whittingham's 21 seasons, there's a case to be made that the Utes could repeat history. They've yet to make an appearance in the College Football Playoff but could be knocking on the door soon. If any of Whittingham's knowledge has rubbed off on Scalley, his next-level approach, paired with his willingness to adapt, could be a dangerous combination.

Yet again, Scalley has started to take a different route. One that involves more hands-on recruiting and alumni involvement with the program. He has been part of Utah's greatest teams, either as a player or coach. Now he's hoping to re-write the history of the program as a head coach in Salt Lake City.

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