Utah Utes football: 5 questions with Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham

Deseret News sports writer Dirk Facer recently caught up with Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham. The Utes report for camp on Aug. 1 and open the season Aug. 30 at home against Northern Colorado.

Q: Recent comments attributed to you by Yahoo! Sports concerning the rivalry game with BYU have stirred things up a bit. Any clarifications you would like to make?

A: "What I was trying to convey was simply that we can't compromise our program in any way for the sake of the rivalry. Just like every other program in the country, we have to do what's in our best interest. I'm not anti-rivalry, but with all the complications involved in scheduling it appears as though it's going to be difficult to make it work on an uninterrupted basis.. At the end of the day, this is a decision that will be made by the AD's."

Q: How did Brian Johnson fare in his first spring as offensive coordinator?

A: "Brian and the rest of the offensive staff did a great job this spring. It was a seamless transition and the players responded very well to the new staff structure. We obviously still have a lot of work to do this fall in getting the offense where we want it, but we are definitely off to a good start."

Q: Is Jordan Wynn healthy and is he the projected starter going into fall camp?

A: "Jordan is completely healthy and throwing the ball better than he ever has since joining our program. He had a good spring and will be our starter heading into fall camp, but he knows we have several other good quarterbacks in the program that will be pushing him."

Q: Why did you choose running back John White IV and defensive tackle Star Lotulelei to represent Utah at next month's Pac-12 media day in Burbank, Calif.?

A: "The Pac-12 requests that you bring one offensive and one defensive player to the media day, preferably seniors. We felt we had many players deserving of making the trip to LA, but John and Star both played exceptional football for us last season and have always represented our program very well."

Q: How do feel about your brother, Cary, being named as the new head coach at Timpview High School?

A: "I'm excited for him and I think it's a great opportunity, although it will be challenging for him as well. Louis Wong is a longtime friend of our family and did a great job at Timpview for many years, so Cary has some big shoes to fill. Cary has great rapport with the players and I believe under his direction the program will continue to have success."