Utah Utes: Whittingham wins top coach

After guiding the Utes to a 13-0 record, a 31-17 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and a No. 2 ranking, Whittingham was named National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. He received the award at the AFCA convention in Nashville, Tenn.

"He's more than deserving. If anybody in the country deserves it, it's definitely Coach Whit," said quarterback Brian Johnson. "He's done an unbelievable job this year, and you just can't say enough about what he means to Utah football and the university."

The AFCA award is chosen exclusively by coaches and dates back to 1935. Whittingham is the first Utah coach to earn the accolade after leading the Utes to their best season in the program's 115-year history — setting a single-season school record for victories and winning an outright Mountain West Conference title for the first time since 2004.

Utah finished the season as the nation's only unbeaten team, concluding the campaign with a second successful trip to the Bowl Championship Series in five years. The Utes enter the 2009 season with the nation's longest active win streak (14 games) and most successful run of bowl victories (eight straight).

Since replacing Urban Meyer as head coach in 2005, Whittingham has posted at 37-14 record at the helm. Utah has won 21 of its past 22 games dating back to last season.

Whittingham and the Utes will be honored with a parade Friday afternoon in downtown Salt Lake City. The event, which is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., will take place along State Street from the Eagle Gate plaza to Washington Square. After the parade, Whittingham and others will speak at a rally to celebrate the Sugar Bowl victory.

E-mail: dirk@desnews.com

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