Tug of war: Utah, BYU butter up Whittingham

BYU or Utah may have a replacement coach lined up this morning. The one who rolls out plans for an official announcement first will be set. The other will have work to do.

The man front and center is Utah defensive coordinator Kyle Whittingham. Sources say the University of Utah has pushed hard in the past 48 hours for Whittingham to replace Florida-bound Urban Meyer. Utah officials offered Whittingham the head Ute coaching job and will demand a decision by today.

BYU, whose university president Cecil Samuelson and associate athletic directors Tom Holmoe, Peter Pilling and Brian Santiago completed a series of interviews Friday and Saturday, reacted to Utah's timetable Monday by rushing Whittingham to meet with an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a mandatory step in the hiring process of the church-owned school.

This tug of war, which has included discussions of money and length of a contract by both parties, should reach a conclusion today, according to informed sources close to both negotiating parties.

While BYU officials made the first run at Whittingham the day after Meyer accepted the Florida job last Thursday, Utah put on its show Sunday. Utah wheeled in high-ranking school officials and boosters. Approximately 30 Ute players swarmed in Whittingham's living room Sunday in an emotional plea for him to take the job.

Utah chose Meyer over Whittingham two years ago when Ron McBride stepped down.

If Whittingham elects to stay at Utah, expect a press conference today. Utah athletic director Chris Hill, however, declined comment through sports information director Liz Abel.

If Whittingham declines the Ute job for his alma mater to the south, where he played on the 1980 squad that defeated SMU in the Holiday Bowl, BYU may not have an official announcement until Wednesday or Thursday. Members of BYU's athletic administration return Wednesday from New York City, where LaVell Edwards will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame tonight.

Whittingham and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford were considered top Utah candidates immediately after Meyer decided to go to Florida, according to sources. Sanford decided Saturday to accept the head job at UNLV. Sanford will reportedly receive a five-year contract that pays $600,000 per year.

Monday afternoon, Sanford called the situation "a gold mine" at a press conference in Las Vegas.

"I have extremely high expectations," he said.

So, too, do his new bosses.