Whitt Interview with The Athletic

[The Miami Ute]

Just came out this morning. Posting here in case anyone is interested.

This week, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said the Utes would find out earlier in the week if Rising would be cleared to play against Cal this weekend, but wouldn’t announce anything leading up to the Saturday afternoon kickoff in Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Athletic caught up with Whittingham briefly this week to discuss Rising’s recovery, if the longtime coach regrets not being more transparent about the extent of the injury, the future of college football, Utah’s last year in the Pac-12 and Deion Sanders’ first year at Colorado.

Were you surprised when Cam revealed the full extent of his injury on the radio last week?

I can’t say I was surprised. If that was Cam’s decision and he wanted to do that, then that’s his prerogative, obviously. It’s his choice how much or how little he wants to reveal. That’s certainly not my area or not my place to elaborate on an injury. If he wanted to go ahead and do that, that’s perfectly his decision.

Do you think the weekly unknowns of Cam’s status has become a distraction or a team dealing with a litany of injuries?

No, I don’t think so. I think we’ve handled it as well as we could’ve possibly handled it. We just hold out hope each week and like we’ve said, we’re just waiting for that clearance, and once that clearance is given, then we move forward.

So you wouldn’t classify there being any tension right now between the program and where Cam is in his rehab at the moment?

No, absolutely not. Not from my vantage point, no.

You said Monday you didn’t have a good answer for whether, in retrospect, you wished the messaging of Cam’s injury was handled differently. Now that you have had a day to ponder it: Do you feel like it would’ve been beneficial for everyone if it was laid out in spring or summer that Cam suffered a multi-ligament injury?

The only people of concern are the people inside this building. That’s the only people we are concerned with. So I guess the answer would be no. The people outside the building, that’s all up to Cam and how he wants to handle that. We’re just focused on the people inside the building and everybody has been on the same page. We’ve just been working through it on a week-to-week basis.

You were one of the first coaches to publicly lob out the scenario of a college football super conference. Since the sport appears to be headed that way, do you think the sport is losing what has made it unique like regional rivalries and being able to easily drive to away games?

I think we can hang onto some of that. I think there will still be a place when we do get to a super league that if you’ve got two of the teams in those super leagues, there will be a lot of these long-standing rivalries, I think they can remain intact. I think there’s still going to be a way to structure that.

I just don’t know why you couldn’t continue with some of those high-profile rivalry games. I think when we do go to the super conferences, there will still be a regional aspect to it. I don’t think you’re going to have a helter-skelter schedule of all different regions in one pod.

Have you had time to get nostalgic at all that this is your last year in the Pac-12?

No, I’m not a nostalgic guy. I’m a guy that can move on in five minutes.

Even despite winning the conference the past two years and going to the Rose Bowl? It’s got to be kind of a bummer.

Don’t worry about what you can’t control. Control the controllables. Embrace change and move on. You can’t sit there and hem and haw about it or be depressed. It serves no purpose. You just move forward. I’ve operated that way for as long as I remember in every aspect of my life. If we moved to a different house, I would settle in the new house in five minutes and forget about the old one.

Are you surprised by Colorado’s start under Deion Sanders in his first year?

Deion’s done a great job. He overhauled the roster, and based on their struggles last year, I think he did it exactly the right way. You’ve got to give him credit for having the vision and the wherewithal to get it done. How can you say anything but? There is no other way to view that.

The defense this year seems to have taken the leap to establishing itself among the program’s elite. Why do you think this group has taken that collective jump this season even with so many injuries?

First of all, we’ve got really good players. Most of the injuries have been on the offensive side of the ball and haven’t had quite as many on defense. Fortunately, we’ve recruited well and have good depth and have had guys step up and fill the shoes of the guys that we’re missing. But we’ve got good players to start with. That’s always the starting point. They’re coached well, and our schemes, fundamentals and technique are sound. Guys play with great motors and a lot of desire. That’s the recipe right there.

How do you keep morale high when so many key players continue to get hurt?

We talked about handling adversity way back in January. That’s just part of football. If you can’t handle adversity, you’re not going to be very successful. It’s almost preparation. It’s not if but when it strikes, and how much of it you do endure. Whatever it is, you’ve got to just handle it. I think our guys develop that mentality early on in this program, and we stress it and emphasize it every single week, no matter who is available or not available. You’ve just got to keep playing.

[UteBacker]

“The only people of concern are the people inside this building.”

My one very minor quibble: no concern for those of us that pour thousands of dollars into the program? Just sayin’.

[The Miami Ute]

I’m thinking Whitt said that in regards to the actual running and performance of the program. Whitt is a very astute guy and I have no doubt he fully understands the important role the community plays in making sure he’s a success. Many people have said it on this site and I think it’s worth repeating. Football is entertainment and players and coaches are entertainers. That’s really what it comes down to. Without public money and attention, then there’s no football program or at least it’s relegated to a club sport. Whitt knows that.

[EagleMountainUte]

That is how I took that comment as well Miami.

[chinngiskhaan]

I can say that that I have personally heard Whitt say, on more than one occasion, that fans are his least favorite part of college football. He doesn’t care what we think. He knows that fans keep it all going, and it wouldn’t exist without them, but he HATES that he has to deal with all things related to fans. Interviews, events, any other sort of media availability, he can’t stand it. In his first few years as HC, it was enough to make him wonder if he had made the right career choice.

[The Miami Ute]

Chinngis, I can think of $6.2M reasons why Kyle is doing what he’s doing. I posted a few days ago about athletes that don’t really like their sports but the money is too good to turn down. I imagine that there are some coaches that feel the same way.

[chinngiskhaan]

Yes, I think it is probably easier for him to deal with now than it was for the first few years for… reasons…

[RustyShackleford]

Whitt loves the sport and the players just not the publicity of the job. Which I completely understand fans are morons

[The Miami Ute]

Rusty, with all due respect, without fans Whitt’s selling insurance somewhere.

[UtesRule]

Get over it!! Until forced to by the conference or the powerless NCAA, Whitt is NEVER going to give injury updates (other than season ending).

[UtMtBiker]

That’s coming very soon. ESPNs new massive partnership with Draftkigs will force it.

[Roy Rangum]

A thought I’ve had recently is that fans have a minor but legitimate effect on the team. There’s a reason the home team has the advantage (which is particularly true at Rice Eccles).

With that in mind: Should part of a fans loyalty to the team / desire to help the team win, include staying willingly in the dark about when injured players will return, so that our opponent is equally kept in the dark? Whitt certainly thinks that playing coy about injuries gives us a competitive edge. Maybe we should be embracing that rather than fighting it?

[SOWhat]

When discussing injuries there’s also HIPPA laws to consider. In the NFL they aren’t as much of a problem. Not sure why, it may be allowed because it’s written into players contracts. In college, not sure, as coach Whit said, It was Cam’s decision to talk about it.
GO UTES!!!

[MussMan]

[UtMtBiker]

It’s not a problem in the NFL because it’s collectively bargained.

[Tony (admin)]

Don’t worry about what you can’t control. Control the controllables. Embrace change and move on. You can’t sit there and hem and haw about it or be depressed. It serves no purpose. You just move forward.

Great life advice.

[EagleMountainUte]

Can it be taken too literal though? It is human nature to reflect on the past. Whitt said quite literally it is against his nature and within five minutes he is moving on.
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

Probably over analyzing it too much. But I do think in society today we tend to think just because we have forgotten it others should to.

[chinngiskhaan]

He’s simplifying his own personal view more than he probably would if he actually wanted to be there talking to that person.

For example, He gets sentimental about people all the time. Ty and ALowe are a perfect example of that. He was clearly sad when Ric Ocasek, and the Van Halen guy passed away. He gets sentimental. He just doesn’t let it get him too down, and he doesn’t care much about possessions.

[UteBacker]

“The Valen Halen guy”? You’re killing me, chinngiskhaan.

[chinngiskhaan]

I mean, it’s so hard to remember his name, it’s not like the band is named after him or anything.

(I know his name, I didn’t mean to be cavalier about his death btw).

[Tony (admin)]

If I recall, the “Van Halen” guy’s name was, in fact, Van Halen. Eddie Van Halen.

[The Miami Ute]

Tony, I think Chinngis was being sarcastic…

[Tony (admin)]

As was I.

[bopahull]

As long as that Jethro Tull guy and that Lynard Skynard guy are still around, I guess I can get by.

[Author]

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