Mark Harlan Announces Future Succession Plan for Utah Football Leadership – University of Utah Athletics

SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah Director of Athletics Mark Harlan shared that the University of Utah entered into a new employment agreement with Utah Football defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley on Nov. 23, 2023, that formally designates Scalley as the football program’s head coach in waiting. Scalley is entering his 17th year on staff with the Utes under Head Coach Kyle Whittingham in 2024.
 
“Coach Whittingham has built Utah Football into one of the nation’s elite programs through a strong culture, tradition and exceptional student-athletes, and he has been clear about his intentions of continuing to lead this incredible Utah Football program as we move into the Big 12 Conference and into the new expanded College Football Playoff,” said Harlan. “However, we must plan for the future, and Coach Whittingham and I both strongly believe that that future lies with Morgan Scalley. Morgan has played a critical role in our success through his embodiment of our core values and his leadership, and I have witnessed first hand his growth as a coach and as a person over the last several years. He is an elite coach who has been trained by the best – Coach Whittingham – and whenever it is time for Morgan to take the helm, I have no doubt that our program will continue to have success.”
 
Utah’s all-time winningest head coach, Whittingham will continue to lead the Utes into a new era as he enters his 20th season as head coach. Whittingham’s 10 assistant coaches have an average tenure of 7.4 seasons with the Utes, the most longevity by any power conference staff, which includes Scalley’s 16 years with the program.
 
“Morgan Scalley is an exceptional football coach and his naming as the head coach in waiting at the University of Utah is a testament to that,” said Whittingham. “It is a distinction he has earned not only because of his outstanding coaching abilities, but also because of his selfless dedication to the program as well as to the Utah Athletics family. The culture and tradition within Utah Football is a point of pride for our staff, and when the time comes for a transition in the leadership of our program, we know that Morgan will carry on those traditions the Utah Football way.”
 
Scalley, a former Utah All-America safety, will begin his ninth season as the defensive coordinator in 2024 and has been coaching the safeties since joining the staff full-time in 2008. He served as Utah’s recruiting coordinator from 2009-15 and special teams coordinator in 2015, after beginning his coaching career as an administrative assistant with the Utes in 2006.
 
“Utah Football and Utah Athletics have always been home to me and my family, and I am honored to receive this distinction,” Scalley said. “I want to thank President Randall, Coach Whittingham and Mark Harlan for the trust they have shown in me, and I remain committed to my continued growth as a coach and person, and as a member of the amazing University of Utah community. Our staff is excited to start a new era of Utah Football in the Big 12 this fall under Coach Whittingham and to continue the traditions that have become a part of our proud history.”
 
Known as one of the brightest defensive minds in the business, Scalley has led the Utes to finishes in the top-half of the Pac-12 in total defense seven times, ranking second nationally and first in the league in 2019. He has directed the Pac-12’s top rushing defense five times in the last eight years, including top-five national rankings in 2018, 2019 and 2023. Utah has finished at the top of the conference in sacks and tackles for loss three times under Scalley, most recently in back-to-back seasons (2021, 2022). The team also finished the 2018 season ranked 11th nationally and first in the Pac-12 in sacks.
 
Individually, Scalley has coached 13 All-Americans (four consensus or unanimous), 19 first-team all-conference selections and five freshmen All-Americans. He has also seen 29 of his proteges reach the NFL, including Devin Lloyd becoming the highest-drafted linebacker in school history in 2022 (1st round, 27th overall).
 
The Salt Lake City, Utah, native lettered for the Utes from 2001-04 and was the 2004 Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year, a second-team All-American (AP, Sports Illustrated) and unanimous first-team all-conference safety. He was second-team All-MWC at defensive back in 2003 and honorable mention All-MWC as a punt returner in 2001 and 2002.
 
As a senior, he captained Utah to a 12-0 record, a Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh and a No. 4 national ranking in a historic season in which Utah became the first non-BCS team to play in a BCS bowl game.
 
The two-time first-team Academic All-American was presented with the inaugural Pat Tillman Award during the 2005 East-West Shrine Game, recognizing him for his character, intelligence, sportsmanship and service. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Utah in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, and earned a Master’s in business administration from the U in 2006.