Kyle Whittingham has intriguing response to retirement speculation

Oct 15, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham watches warm up prior to a game against the USC Trojans at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham did not do much to quiet speculation about his coaching future on Monday.

Whittingham, the longtime coach of the Utes, did not push back on retirement speculation when speaking to the media on Monday. The coach told reporters that he would make a decision on whether he would coach next year based on what is best for the program as a whole.

Kyle Whittingham says he will make his decision about coaching next year based on what is best for the program, not what's best for him. @Utah_Football @OCShow801 @ESPN700

— Sean O'Connell (@realOCsports) November 25, 2024

Whittingham has floated retirement for a while. He had previously said he did not intend to coach past age 65, and he turned 65 on Nov. 21. He had even gone as far as to say his retirement decision was “day-to-day” last July, when the school named defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley as the program’s coach-in-waiting.

Whittingham has been Utah’s head coach since 2004, when he replaced Urban Meyer upon Meyer’s departure for Florida. He has managed to maintain a high-end program since then, posting a 166-86 record overall. His crowning achievement is the team’s 13-0 season in 2008, which concluded with an upset win over Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl.

Unfortunately, if this is it for Whittingham, he will not go out on top. Utah is just 4-7 this season and has just one conference win in their inaugural Big 12 season.