Reader comments
Utah Utes bear Whittingham's stamp

It's been fun watching Coach Whit's maturation as a coach. He will be Utah's winningest coach and will take this program to levels we never thought we could get to. He has already established himself as a fantastic, nationally-recognized coach who can recruit very well and prepare better than anybody.

There were many naysayers, as recent as last season. But I can't wait to see how Coach Whittingham continues to cement his legacy as THE class of coaches in the MWC whom all of the other coaches are chasing.

Congrats, Coach Whit. You deserve all of this!

I know for a fact that if Urban was still coaching Utah and had just gone undefeated after spanking Alabama, he'd by lobbying like crazy for a split vote on the NC.

I love Kyle to death, but that just ain't the way he rolls.

Whittingham has earned every bit of praise that he has received. The Utes had their best season ever this year -- even better than the seasons when Urban Meyer was their coach.

Whittingham has built upon the foundation laid by others and is a superb motivator. It is a tribute to him, to all of the Utah coaches, and to the team that they have performed so well this year.

Although I have been a Cougar fan for more than 40 years, I have always cheered for the Utes' success. It was a thrill to watch the Sugar Bowl and to see Utah defeat Alabama.

Kudos all around!

coach whittingham's preparation and performance throughout the season was excellent. usually this is the point at which the so-called "bcs" programs come knocking flaunting millions of dollars trying to lure a great coach out of the smaller conferences. i bet michigan would pay ten million for whittingham now that they have seen his up-tempo style. they passed out no-doze to their fans this year.

Congrats coach Whit! Thanks for the best Utah season ever!

Congrats Coach Whit. You have done a slow burn toward excellence ever since you took over and now you have the players and coaches confidence and the eyes of good recruits all over the country--on you and on the hill. You deserve it. I promise to never try to tell you how to coach. Something that is very hard for many Ute fans to do.

Nobody deserves the success more, and there is nobody we would rather have leading the Utes. He has proven his coaching ability now for over 15 years at Utah. His teams have rarely been outcoached.

Go Utes!

Congrats Whit! I love your toughness and the toughness you have given the team!

Print the "National Champs" shirts. I want to buy one.

I am not a Utah fan, but I would say this; the Utah football team probably had Coach Whittingham's stamp on it to a greater degree than it ever had Urban Meyer's. Urban Meyer had no stake in Utah football except as a stepping stone to another, more prestigous job like Florida. He did not have time to ride a wave of complaint and backlash against the BCS to get a shot at a national title. Coach Whittingham has the experience of the 1984 BYU national championship to understand what has to be done at schools like Utah, BYU or even TCU to get and retain respect on a national scale. Also, Urban Meyer never had any repsect for all that BYU has done for football in the WAC/MWC. Without BYU's extended record of success under Lavell Edwards, would Utah, BYU, Boise State, TCU, et al, be getting any respect now? Maybe, but not to the current degree.

Urban understood that you have to be in the BCS to get their national title, that and a ton of cash is why he bolted for Florida and the SEC.

Legitimizes 2004 and makes Utah a powerhouse.
Period.
What other programs can lay claim to 2 BCS victories in 5 years?

Only the Powerhouse's of College Football.

Welcome to the club Utah!

GO Gators!

-Martin
Gainseville FL

First, let me say I detest the U of U (I'm a 30 yr BYU fan obviously). HOWEVER, I heartily congratulate both the Utes, and especially Coach Whittingham, on their success this year. They beat the Cougars (along with every other team) fair and square and deserve the respect they've earned.

One thing I've learned from analyzing both pro and college football for so many years is that in order to win, a coach must be able to instill in his players a "take-no-prisoners killer instinct." So, when BYU Coach Mendenhall, in his list of player priorities puts winning football games #5 in his list, then there is something wrong with the coach's priorities. I doubt Coach Whittingham has winning football games as #5 in his list.

Many people also theororize BYU's lack of "killer instinct" is due to the large number of returned LDS missionaries on their team. Again, Coach Whittingham and his team--comprised of numerous returned LDS missionaries--disproves this theory.

All I can say, if Coach Whittingham stays on at Utah, then BYU better relegate themselves to being 2nd or 3rd each year. That, or Coach Mendenhall's staff better re-prioritize their list pretty darn quick!

Nice articles. However, you should have added that it probably did not even bother Whit when YOU, Mr. Rock, predicted to the New Orleans press that Alabama would win the game 31-14. Way to get it completely backwards!! Props should go out to Sorensen and Facer, the ONLY reporters covering the Sugar Bowl that predicted a Utah win!

Finally, the rest of the world is figuring out what I have known all along. Coach Whit is THE BEST COACH in the entire USA! No way that Urban Meyer or Pete Carrol are close to as good as he is. They may have better athletes, for now (but not for long), but he is still THE #1 Coach! And everyone now knows it.

Now that the world knows how great Utah is, next year we will win the National Championship for sure. We will be ranked #1 going into the season and NO ONE will take it from us!!!

Sorry Lavell, in the future, Coach Whit will be the coach that all others are compared to!!!

Go Utes!!!

wow!!!!!!!! it was a great season, and he is a great coach, but think before you say stuff. we will NOT be ranked number one! And we will NOT even make it to a BCS bowl next year, i wish we would, but it is highly unlikely. come back to earth my man!

Teams get respect because they play good schedules and win. not because some team in there conference won a title 24 years ago. If we use your line of thinking then every football game ever play paves the road for everyother football game that is yet to be played. It's also whinning. It would be like a Utah fan complaining that Utah doesn't get credit every time someone throw a shuffle pass (utah pass)
get over it an move on.

If fact ... Yes BYU is the reason why Utah is where it is today and not the National Champion.
BYUs 1984 season is what caused people and confereces to get together and form the BCS. BYU had a great team... but was it the best in country? (to quote you "maybe, but" ... )
The the mess that is the BCS a direct result of BYUs 1984 team. Thanks a lot!

take credit for your team when your team does well. don't take credit for your team when other teams do well. They had little if nothing to do with it.

The good thing about all the injuries Utah had from 2 years ago was hard to deal with. However it taught the team how to overcome adversity. It taught the UTES what it takes to consistanly win. Also I remember the team had some meetings and the players were thinking the coaches were to hard on them. With this year's success, Coach Witt won't have to sale his philosophy anymore. He can sit back and coach and the results will take care of themselves. Before to Long they will be etching Wittingham Field on the building he helped sustain and expand. GO UTES......

I am interested to see how Yewt fans react when Whitingham falls back to earth and loses a few games next year. I admit that the 2009 schedule for the Yewts is pretty soft but I could see them droping a couple of games still. Before this season there was a lot of win or else chants going around and all of that seems to be a distant memory right now. To be honest, Whitingham is a good coach - but not a great coach. I just wonder how that 1.2 mil salary will set with the fans and media after a couple of losses - especially to MWC teams?

Utah will easily be number 1 next year after they dominate the entire mountain west and beat USC in the BCS title game next year!!!

your pretty funny dude. Kyle the best in the US? I think you've been sipp'en too much of that post-sugar bowl brew. How many conference championship did Lavell win?? Pete Carrol has won two national championships and his UCS teams have won the PAC 10 how many times? Kyle's record before this season was 7-5, 8-4, and 9-3 and where talking about the Mountain West not the Pac 10 or the South East conference. The most laughable thing about your comments is just two years ago Ute fans and media were ALL calling for Kyle to be FIRED and now suddenly he is the best thing as sliced bread. The truth is , Kyle is a good coach but there are at least 20 coaches better in college football today. I am interested to hear your comments next season after your OOOTES lose a couple of conference games.