Apparently Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham and athletics director Chris Hill aren’t plugged in to the rumor mill. After defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake and defensive line coach Ilaisa Tuiaki left for similar posts at Oregon State and offensive coordinator Dave Christensen took a demotion to join Texas A&M’s staff, it seemed like Whittingham’s 10-year tenure in Salt Lake City was coming apart at the seams.
In fact, Whittingham was apparently ready to walk away from a program he spent more than two decades building without a job waiting on the other side. “Sources familiar with the situation tell The Salt Lake Tribune that the relationship between Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham and athletic director Chris Hill is severely fractured, perhaps irreparably,” Matthew Piper reported at the time.
Then the talk died down, a few weeks passed, and now Whittingham has inked a new contract with the Utes. In a new four-year pact, Whittingham will earn $2.6 million in 2015 and receive a $100,000 bump each year after that. He earned $2.2 million in 2014, good for 43rd nationally according to the USA Today coaching salary database. A $400,000 bump would push him six spots upward, just past Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson at $2.595 million.
“We appreciate the confidence and commitment the University of Utah has shown our program. We have a talented team returning for the 2015 season and we’re excited about the future of Utah football,” said Whittingham. “The number one priority right now is finishing up another outstanding recruiting class.”
Actually, Kyle, your first priority should be recruiting replacements for Sitake and Christensen. The Utes still don’t have offensive and defensive coordinators with recruiting now back in full swing.
