​Stacy Revere/Getty Images FRISCO, TEXAS – JULY 08: Head coach Morgan Scalley of the Utah Utes speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at The Ford Center at The Star on July 08, 2026 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) ©Credit – GettyMorgan Scalley has plenty to celebrate in his first season running Utah. Nine games in, the Utes are unbeaten, sitting at 9-0 and looking like a team that hasn’t missed a beat despite losing Kyle Whittingham and several key members of the coaching staff. But the man who helped put him in this position is having a much rougher time in Ann Arbor. And watching it unfold hasn’t been easy for Utah’s new head coach.During his appearance on The Triple Option, Morgan Scalley didn’t hide where he stood when the conversation turned to Kyle Whittingham. Michigan’s struggles haven’t changed his opinion of the coach who spent years guiding his career. If anything, they made him more protective of the man.“He gave me every opportunity I’ve had in coaching,” he said. “He’s a guy that just believed in me. I loved him as a coach, as a person. He’s an amazing coach. I am feeling for what he’s going through. It’s unfortunate because obviously it’s a results-driven business, but people don’t really understand how great of a coach and person he is.”Morgan Scalley was talking about someone who played a central role in getting him to the top job at Utah. Their relationship goes back well before either man occupied a head coaching position. Kyle Whittingham coached him during his playing days at Utah, when the DB developed into an All-American and helped lead the Utes to an undefeated 2004 season.Watch how college football’s coaching community responds when one of their own faces adversity. Subscribe for the latest on Utah football and the broader landscape of the sport.Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham reacts to 20-19 loss to Iowa at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026.Morgan Scalley eventually returned to Salt Lake City in 2006, beginning his coaching career as an administrative assistant. Kyle Whittingham kept giving him opportunities. He moved through graduate assistant duties, coaching safeties, recruiting responsibilities, and special teams before taking over as DC in 2016. He became one of the key figures behind Utah’s defense and was a Broyles Award finalist in 2019.The succession plan eventually became official. Morgan Scalley had twice been identified as Kyle Whittingham’s eventual replacement before getting the job when his mentor left Utah for Michigan in December 2025. There was little mystery about how he viewed that opportunity.“I would not be here in this seat if it wasn’t for Kyle Whittingham,” he said.Now, they’re roughly 1,500 miles apart, and their first seasons on opposite sidelines have taken very different turns. Utah entered the transition with plenty of reasons for concern. Kyle Whittingham took five assistant coache