The College of Utah formally named defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley because the successor to longtime soccer coach Kyle Whittingham, the varsity introduced Monday.
Whereas no retirement date has been set for Whittingham, Scalley’s most up-to-date contract requires him to change into the varsity’s subsequent coach every time Whittingham decides to step down.
The contract features a beginning wage for Scalley of no less than $5 million per 12 months if he is elevated on the finish of the 2024 season, per the contract. That quantity will increase by $100,000 every subsequent 12 months, topping out at $5.4 million after Jan. 16, 2028.
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Scalley, who was a star participant on the faculty, is coming into his seventeenth season on the Utah employees.
“Clearly, it is a program that is all the time meant the world to me,” Scalley instructed ESPN. “I performed right here, grew up going to video games right here. I like this program and the place it is headed, and I’ve lots of respect for the coaches which have made it what’s.”
There is not any definitive timeline set for Whittingham to step down. He turns 65 in November. He is coming into his twentieth season as head coach and is the all-time winningest coach (162-79) at school historical past.
The contractual formalization of Scalley as the following Utah coach marks the second time that athletic director Mark Harlan has designated Scalley in such a job. In July 2020, the varsity rescinded that title, which had been agreed to months earlier than, and reduce his wage by greater than half to $525,000 yearly after an out of doors investigation into his use of a racial slur in a textual content message seven years earlier.
An outdoor regulation agency assessment interviewed 35 individuals and located a majority of former gamers had been stunned on the stories and had a optimistic relationship with Scalley. As a part of his settlement to return to the employees, Scalley has taken half in common and ongoing range and inclusion training.
“I harm lots of people and realized a lot,” Scalley mentioned. “Schooling results in understanding, and that results in empathy and significant motion. I believe generally to essentially know the place you stand, it’s important to hit your private all-time low. I am grateful that [Harlan] and the administration labored with me by way of that tough time. I am significantly grateful to the gamers, who confirmed a lot love and style.”
Scalley is coming into his ninth season as Utah’s defensive coordinator, and the contract additionally features a increase that may pay him $2 million in 2024, which places him among the many highest paid coordinators within the sport. He is slated to make $2.1 million in 2025 and $2.2 million in 2026 because the defensive coordinator, per the brand new contract, if Whittingham continues to be the top coach. He made $1.5 million in 2023.
He has earned a status as among the finest coordinators within the nation, as USC expressed curiosity in hiring him final 12 months and Texas, Oregon and Florida had been amongst packages that expressed curiosity in prior years.
Scalley mentioned he is elated that Utah has reciprocated his loyalty, crediting president Taylor Randall, Harlan and Whittingham for bringing him alongside.
“I simply can’t say sufficient about how [Whittingham] has mentored me and believed in me,” Scalley mentioned. “I’ve put lots of time and sacrifice into this journey and am excited for the journey that is forward and appreciative for the administration’s perception in me and our imaginative and prescient going ahead.”
The transfer by Utah doesn’t come as a shock, as seen by the varsity’s contractual strikes. After having his pay reduce to $525,000 in 2020, the varsity boosted Scalley’s wage to a reported $1.1 million in 2021 after which $1.4 million in 2022. The contract in 2022 included each a rollover and a major buyout with no offset clause — $4.2 million — that may have made it costly for Utah to usher in a coach from the skin.
The college mentioned in its information launch that the brand new employment settlement it introduced Monday was signed Nov. 23, 2023.
“Coach Whittingham and I each strongly consider that that future lies with Morgan Scalley,” Harlan mentioned within the assertion. “Morgan has performed a important position in our success by way of his embodiment of our core values and his management, and I’ve witnessed first-hand his progress as a coach and as an individual during the last a number of years.”
Scalley’s constant success led to the skin curiosity, together with authoring the nation’s No. 2 whole protection in 2019. Utah has had the Pac-12’s prime rush protection 5 occasions prior to now eight years.
“There’s some belongings you simply cannot put a price ticket on,” Scalley mentioned. “My household is entrenched in Salt Lake Metropolis, and we have confirmed we will win at a excessive degree the place we’re located. I all the time mentioned if given the chance, I might by no means depart. I have been true to that.”
Over the course of his time at Utah, Scalley starred within the Mountain West as a participant, has coached in that league and everything of Utah’s stint within the Pac-12. He’ll coordinate the protection within the Huge 12 subsequent 12 months. He has additionally been this system’s particular groups coach, recruiting coordinator and has coached the safeties since being employed full time in 2008. Scalley served as a senior captain on Utah’s 12-0 2004 workforce that blew out Pittsburgh within the Fiesta Bowl and completed No. 4 within the nation beneath City Meyer.
“The college has been the place I’ve spent most of my life, so I need to have the ability to give again and proceed the custom and provides the group and the state one thing to be fired up about,” he mentioned. “You possibly can recruit right here, you may win right here and it is house.”
Utah is taken into account the favourite to win the Huge 12 in 2024 — the Utes return eight starters on a protection that completed within the prime 15 in whole protection final season. Scalley mentioned he sees this system as being able to sometime win the nationwide title.
“I would not be right here if I did not assume so,” he mentioned. “We will recruit and significantly regionally, you bought to have the ability to recruit linemen and you are able to do it regionally. We have proven the power to exit to Texas, to Florida, to California and get talent gamers. And we have got a fan base that is keen about successful, and you are able to do it in Salt Lake Metropolis.”