THE NEW PLAN!

[press-on]

Is this the new plan?….. ‘We’ve learned our lesson’. “We’re now looking at a plug-and-play scheme”. No more 2-3 years to learn the offense. Oh, and we’re goin’ need 40-45 new players next year to get this thing rolling ….’And don’t forget our new OC. And while we’re at, let’s consider opening practices again to the media and fans.

Wow! The new Coach Whittingham.

Gotta give it to you, Coach. You’re a master salesman. We ALL want the program to turn around and be a winner!

But then I think of the reality here. THE CUBBOARD IS BARE! THE TANK IS ON EMPTY! The Offensive Coaching Staff, well?! Sorry, but I just don’t think I’m really buying into a retreading of this program.

Personally, I want to thank Coach Whitt for making Ute football relevant and a national brand. Big Time Kudos, Coach! But there is this uncomfortable reality still hanging over the program. Retooling or retreading just does not feel like the right answer.

Also, and perhaps the greatest issue at this point in time is,…. it would be EXTREMELY TOUGH for anyone to turn down about $20 million in guaranteed contract dollars over the next 3 years. WOW! WE get it! We really do!

But …..it really is time Coach!

[AlohaUte]

It shocks me how quickly the fan base has turned on Whit. What a bunch of fickle, petty people.

[Anfernee]

*some

[jshame17]

Don’t be shocked. It’s just a coog troll that created an account to stir the pot. Just look at their post history.

[2008 National Champ]

Even trolls can be right every once in a while. Sometimes even more than a broken clock.,,

I’ve got to admit, everything the OP said went through my mind when I read the recap of the presser. And it wasn’t much different than most of us have been saying at one point or another over the last 2 seasons.

[press-on]

Aloha,

So you’re shocked to learn some fans are unhappy with the direction of the program? Well, frankly, it’s shocking that you are so naive to think that! Probably best to hide your head back in the sand and pretend this last year is just a bad dream!

[AlohaUte]

No, I’m not shocked about the direction of the program. Learn to read and comprehend what is written.

I’m shocked at how quickly you have turned on Whit and want him out. He delivered 20 years of greatness and now after two rough years – the 1st of which – mind you – we still won 8 games with 1/3 of a team – last season was arguably Whit’s most impressive coaching job. This season is really the first complete failure of the Whittingham years and you all just turned and want him fired. It’s utterly ridiculous.

[press-on]

And Shame,

My post history is consistent. It’s time for Whitt to retire. He’s old. The game’s passing him by. The program is in shambles. Sorry, but that’s a fact! You must be part of Whitt’s staff to not see it. Oh, and by the way, I’ll bet my pedigree at the U goes way beyond yours. 5 generations, man …and proud of it!!

[jshame17]

Look.

Maybe you have a 5 generation connection to the U, if true, then I apologize for calling you a coog.

I don’t like the direction of the program or how stubborn Whitt is. I’ve been more vocal about him needing to go and it hurting the program with his control over the offense.

His love affair with Cam and letting him call the shots is high school level amateurish, in my opinion.

Alienating the fan base by closing practices and the athletics program threatening press credentials of anyone that challenges the coaches is not healthy for an overall community.

You want our money, let us look behind the curtain a bit since this is a public university and not a privately owned pro team.

Unfortunately, every program that has a reputation or legacy of building teams slowly and developing players, has been upended with the new world of NIL. We seen many legacy coaches struggle with the impact to team culture. Some walked like Saban and Peterson. Others are struggling. Look at OK State and FSU.

Whitt is 2 years removed from some the highest we have climbed as I never thought I’d get to watch our Utes in the Rose Bowl.

The past 2 years are 2 massive strikes, so I’m (slightly) okay if he stays in for his 3rd, but if we see a similar result next year? Done immediately, as he has shown he’s slow to adjust and not micro manage. He has to adapt NOW. He was able to after 2 horrible years adjusting to the pac12.

He needs to let coaches coach and players play. He has no choice but let Scalley take control of the offensive decisions and step back or the program is going to struggle for the next 5 years.

[AlohaUte]

No, it’s not a fact. This is what? Whit’s 20th’ year at the helm and it’s the 1st one where he’s failed. Last year sucked, but considering we were playing with 1/2 a team, it was arguably his most impressive coaching season as we still had a solid record.

Maybe give Whit a chance to turn it around if he wants to. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. He’s still one of the best coaches in the game.

[admiralute]

The new plan should be “rebuild”. Clean the house and start over. It’s a new college football climate now and Utah MUST figure out how to navigate the landscape, and starting next season. To do this, it will take innovation and I’m not sure Whitt has that programmed in him. I suppose we’ll see.

[DallasUte78]

@AlohaUte….Agree 100%. We have a lot petty, fickle fans.

[2008 National Champ]

I want to work for you some day. Apparently my performance level could never get so low that I would be replaced.

[AlohaUte]

So I’m a director at my company, I have a bunch of people that work for me. Do you think I fire my staff at the first major down stretch of their career? Or do I as a manager provide them direction, guidance, and give them the chance to right the ship.

Whit has 20 years of incredible success and leading Utah to new heights that we’ve never known. And now in the 1st real failure of his career you want him fired. It makes no sense. (And no last year was not a failure. Yes, he’s mismanaged the QB situation, but we had 1/2 a team and still managed a solid record. It’s arguably his most impressive coaching season).

[2008 National Champ]

So you’re a director at your company. You’ve turned an entire department over to one person allowing him to make all hiring decisions, staff and run his department based on his vision, and he’s turned a steady profit over the life of his career. But now you’ve lost money the last two years and are faced with replacing half of the employees.

Do you stick with the person who is currently costing you money, hope won’t make more bad hiring decisions, and trust him to innovate in a way that he has not shown capable of over the course of his employment? Or do you take the opportunity to bring in fresh blood who you feel has more upside and is better equipped to run your business in the current market conditions?

Because if it was really your livelihood at stake instead of your entertainment, I know the answer. You do also even if you won’t admit it.,,

[UM4G]

What I’m taking from this is Whitt is on a PIP.

[Charlie Foxtrot]

Not only was the QB situation mishandled, but over those 20 years the offense has been as well. From a constant churn of offense coordinators to moving your best talent from offense to defense, the offensive side of the equation has always been overlooked by Whitt.

His solution was to bring back Ludwig whose offensive scheme is so complex it takes 3 years for a QB to master. That worked well with Rising, but it hasn’t worked with anyone else except for Huntley who had several years of starting under his belt when Ludwig was calling the plays.

Now after a sub-par 2023 and total collapse of the 2024 season, we need to change the offensive system to be more plug and play. This realization should have been clear especially after watching the shuffle between backup QB’s who can’t run the system. Putting all of your eggs in the Rising basket was a huge risk that didn’t pay off and ended up exploding in Whitt’s face.

The offensive struggles and mishandling over the past 20 years are squarely on Whitt’s shoulders, and frankly he deserves criticism for it. He has had plenty of time to right the offensive ship over the past 20 years but failed to do so. Now, only after the wheels have come off, is he considering doing something with the offense that should have been done years ago.

[admiralute]

It’s not coach Whitt’s fault. Everything happened so fast in only the past few years with relaxing of the transfer portal and NIL. If not for those, Utah is still trending towards a perennial top 15 team with playoff appearances. There has been a massive shift that nobody saw coming. Those teams that adjusted quickly – ASU, Colorado, etc. have or are prospering because of it, but teams such as Utah and perhaps the Floridas remained largely status quo and were not as innovative as other teams, which is now haunting them. Don’t worry, it will take a few years to adjust to this madness and Utah will be ok, with or without Whitt.

[2008 National Champ]

It’s not coach Whitt’s fault? Nothing? The guy who was put in charge of managing those same things that you are blaming for Utah’s current circumstances bears no responsibility?

I’ve said ad nauseum that Whitt has earned the right to finish out his time at Utah under his own terms. But I fail to see how not being prepared for, or adapting to, the current state of the college game does not fall directly under his purview.

[jshame17]

Ultimately, it all falls on Whitt.

I am however trying to let my “better angels win” and am trying to give him some grace I hope I’d receive.

Things we know that have impacted the team:

1- Whitt has course corrected in the past. Although his offense issues are consistent, he has found enough to win games.

2- one of his best assistant coaches is massively underperforming, I’d assume due to massive distractions on the home front. Shah is not the coach he has been in the past and should not being managing DBs and special teams. He needs to get back to getting next level Corners. Whitt needs to lessen what’s on his plate.

3- injuries. Holy hell the injuries. In Whitt’s control or not? Needs to address the training staff.

4- Whitt needs to address the inconsistent oline play. We finely have tackles, but the interior is. It getting it done.

5- RB room is massively not performing or developing. Whitt can’t stay the course here.

6- QB. Not confident Whitt has an answer here despite saying it’s the most important position again, he hasn’t delivered here in his career. Concerning.

7- defense is not filled with draft-able players, IMO, but they’re still getting it done for the most part. Whitt deserves credit for keeping this as his legacy and a sense of pride. Minus the lack of sacks and turnovers this year.

Is all of this fires me right now? Or does he get 1 more shot to stamp his legacy??

[2008 National Champ]

He has the opportunity to reset the program. But if he’s just going to make cosmetic changes, I’d rather someone else took over. Because I don’t think any of us found 2024 to be up to his standard and I’m confident no one wants a repeat to happen in 2025.

[press-on]

Sincerely, thanks to each and every one who has posted. A lot of good comments and opinions!

Just want to clarify. I AM NOT calling for Coach Whittingham to be fired. No. Not at all! Too good of a coach! Too good of a man who had given his very best to The University, with amazing success. Thank you Coach! No. I am just asking Coach to look objectively at the program as it stands presently and honestly consider passing on the baton.

Consider this. If this WAS THE LAST YEAR in Whitt’s contract, how many of you, how many tens of thousands of UTE fans who loyally support this program and fill up Ute Stadium each game, would be ‘Clamoring’ right now for the higher ups to RENEW or RENEGOTIATE Whit’s contract for another 1 or 2 or 3 more years??

Of course this is a rhetorical question and can’t accurately be answered. My guess though is that under this scenario most Ute fans would be very appreciative of Whitt’ s body of work, but also be encouraging him to look to retirement and let the program to move forward. With Scalley’s appointment in place why not move forward now?

I bring up the salary issue only because it really is the deal breaker. Frankly, I don’t think there are many that could walk away from generational wealth for their family. Just sayin.

That’s it. Thanks for reading’!

[Author]

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