According to Kalani Sitake, he and Kyle Whittingham nearly moved from Utah to Tennessee in 2010.
According to BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, head football coach Kyle Whittingham nearly departed Utah in 2010 to take a position at the University of Tennessee.
All during his career, Whittingham had received multiple offers from Power Five institutions, but Sitake was adamant that he would never leave the Utes. From 2005 till 2014, the two served as coaches in Salt Lake City together.
“I adore Utah first and foremost,” Whittingham stated in a Deseret News piece.In essence, I was raised in Utah. For me, it is home.
However, there was a moment when one of the longest-tenured head coaches in America would have called Knoxville, Tennessee, home instead of Utah.
During a fundraising event on Monday at the Hidden Valley Country Club in Utah, Sitake stated, “We were just talking about this last week—we were close to heading out to Tennessee.”
At approximately 1:00 in the morning, Kyle gives me a call, which I answer. As in, we were really going to take the job. I was practicing my Southern drawl and other such things.
“He said, ‘Let’s stay and make it awesome here (at Utah),’” when I answered the phone. To me, it sounded like lovely music. Yes, I thought to myself. You know, it felt right to stay.
According to reports, Whittingham declined a substantial offer from the Vols in 2010, and as a result, the Utes have seen embarrassing success under his direction.
With a 162-79 coaching record and three Kalani Sitakeof the Year awards, he is approaching his 20th season as the head coach of the Utes and has turned the team into a national powerhouse.
Notwithstanding star quarterback Cam Rising missing the entire season due to injury, he has put together ten consecutive winning seasons, including an 8-5 result in 2023.
Whittingham remarked, “I am not a ‘grass is always greener, looking over the fence, type of guy.” “And I really think that wherever your feet land, that’s where you can perform at your best. Thanks to individuals like Kalani, our program has an opportunity to succeed.
