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Record at Utah: 24-14 (3 years)
Career Record: 24-14 (3 years)
Bowl Record: 3-0
Education
Brigham Young, 1984
Bachelor's in educational psychology
Brigham Young, 1987
Master's in athletic administration
Personal Data
Birthdate: Nov. 21, 1959
Hometown: Provo, Utah
Family: Married to the former Jamie Daniels. Four children: Tyler, Melissa, Alex, Kylie.
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In 114 years of Utah football, only Whittingham has made it to a bowl game in each of his first three seasons as the head coach. His teams played - and defeated - Georgia Tech in the 2005 Emerald Bowl, Tulsa in the 2006 Armed Forces Bowl and Navy in the 2007 Poinsettia Bowl.
Including 11 years as an assistant coach (the final 10 as the defensive coordinator), Whittingham has participated in more wins than anyone in Utah football history. Since he joined the staff as the defensive line coach in 1994, the program has won 67-percent of its games - compiling a 110-55 record (24-14 as the head coach) - played in nine bowl games (winning eight), captured four conference titles and finished in the Top-10 twice. He was the defensive coordinator in 2004, when Utah became the first non-BCS affiliated team to play in a BCS bowl game, and finished with a 12-0 record and a No. 4 national ranking. Whittingham served as the co-head coach in that historic game - helping Utah beat Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.
Many of the biggest stars from the undefeated 2004 team moved on to the NFL after the season. Five players were drafted - among them quarterback Alex Smith as the No. 1 NFL Draft pick. Their departures left Whittingham with an almost entirely new starting lineup in his first year as the head coach, yet by season's end, the 2005 Utes resembled their No. 4-ranked predecessor with victories over Brigham Young and No. 24 Georgia Tech. Utah led the Mountain West Conference (finishing 12th in the nation) in total offense and ranked second in the league in total defense.
Also in his first year as the head coach, Whittingham recorded a couple of school `firsts.' At the start of the 2005 season, Utah broke a 75-year-old school record for consecutive wins (17) with a win over Arizona. Utah ran the streak to 18 games before losing in overtime to eventual league champion TCU. Whittingham finished the season as the first novice head coach ever to take a Utah team to a bowl game.
His 2006 squad posted some impressive results as well. The Utes led the nation in net punting and the conference in kickoff returns in Whittingham's second season in charge. They ranked in the top-three in the league in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense, passing offense and rushing defense.
Last year's team won nine games and featured impressive non-conference victories over No. 11-ranked UCLA (44-6) and Louisville (44-35), and a seven-game win streak that stretched from Sept. 29 to Nov. 17. Utah finished strong, winning eight of its last nine games. Ten Utes earned first- or second-team all-conference honors - the most of any team in the Mountain West Conference.
The 2007 Utes led the nation in pass efficiency defense and finished fifth nationally in scoring defense and opponent third down conversion. Utah led the league in those categories, as well as passing defense and turnover margin (No. 13 in the nation).
On an individual level, Whittingham has coached four All-Americans, including first-team All-America defenders Luther Elliss (1994) and Eric Weddle (2006), and first-team All-America punter/kicker Louie Sakoda (2007). Whittingham also coached an Associated Press second-team All-American in Morgan Scalley (2004). Elliss and Weddle were both Consensus All-Americans and NFL draft picks. Sakoda was recognized as a first-team All-America punter by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and CBSSports.com, and a first-team All-America place-kicker by Rivals.com. He also made several All-America second teams as either a punter or kicker.
Whittingham's players regularly receive all-conference notoriety, and a Ute won MWC Defensive Player of the Year three years running (Scalley in 2004 and Weddle in 2005 and 2006). Whittingham has mentored 28 first-team all-conference players total as either a defensive coach or head coach at Utah.
He has sent 20 players to the NFL - 12 as draft picks and eight as free agents who made the team. Whittingham protégés currently on NFL rosters include Andre Dyson, Jonathan Fanene, Steve Fifita, Quinton Ganther, Ma'ake Kemoeatu, John Madsen, Sione Pouha, Paul Soliai, Kelly Talavou and Weddle.
Prior to his appointment as head Ute coach on Dec. 8, 2004, Whittingham served as the Mountain West Conference's longest-tenured and most successful defensive coordinator. In 2002, he was recognized as the MWC Co-Defensive Coordinator of the Year by the Las Vegas Review Journal.
As a first-year Ute assistant in 1994, he coached a defensive line anchored by Consensus All-American Elliss. That team led the league in every defensive category and ranked 18th in the nation in total defense. Utah beat Arizona in the Freedom Bowl and finished the 1994 season with a 10-2 mark and ranked in the top 10 in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls.
In 1995, he stepped in as the coordinator - replacing his father Fred, who left for a job in the NFL - and the program didn't miss a beat. Utah led the conference in total defense three times under his direction (2000, 2001 and 2002). In 2002, Utah ranked No. 1 in the MWC in total defense, scoring defense and rushing defense - finishing No. 12 in the nation in the latter. The Ute defense recorded 14 top-20 statistical rankings from 1995-2004. Whittingham's defenses were best known for keeping opponents off the scoreboard. Utah led the league in scoring defense four times from 1999-2005 (ranking No. 2 in 2003, 2004 and 2005) and finished No. 13, 18, 13, 29, 19 and 22 in the nation during that span.
In his final year as Utah's defensive coordinator, the 2004 Utes finished 12-0 and ranked No. 4 in the nation. On January 1, 2005, with Whittingham serving as co-head coach, Utah set a Fiesta Bowl record for quarterback sacks (9) and held Big East co-champion Pittsburgh to 17 rushing yards and seven points.
Whittingham began his coaching career in 1985-86 as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Brigham Young. He went from there to the College of Eastern Utah, where he held the position of defensive coordinator in 1987. His first full-time NCAA coaching job was at Idaho State, where he spent six years (1988-93), his last two as the defensive coordinator.
A linebacker for Brigham Young from 1978-81, Whittingham earned first-team all-WAC and WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1981. He played in the Hula and Japan Bowls after his senior year, then launched a professional career that included stints with the Denver Broncos (1982 training camp) and the Denver Gold and New Orleans Breakers in the U.S. Football League (USFL) from 1983-85. He played on the Los Angeles Rams' replacement squad in 1987.
Whittingham graduated from BYU in 1984 and received his master's in 1987. Born Nov. 21, 1959, he was raised in Provo, Utah. He is married to the former Jamie Daniels. They have four children.
From Whitt to the NFL
| Player | NFL Team | Position |
| Andre Dyson | Tennessee (2nd round), Seattle, NY Jets | Defensive Back |
| Luther Elliss | Detroit (1st round), Denver | Defensive Line |
| Jonathan Fanene | Cincinnati (7th round) | Defensive Line |
| Steve Fifita | Miami (free agent) | Defensive Line |
| John Frank | Philadelphia (6th round), N.Y. Giants | Defensive Line |
| Quinton Ganther | Tennessee (7th round) | Running Back |
| Phil Glover | Tennessee (7th round), Indianapolis | Linebacker |
| Ma'ake Kemoeatu | Baltimore, Carolina (free agent) | Defensive Line |
| John Madsen | Oakland (free agent) | Wide Receiver |
| Arnold Parker | Seattle (free agent), San Francisco | Defensive Back |
| Sione Pouha | N.Y. Jets (3rd round) | Defensive Line |
| Antwoine Sanders | Baltimore (7th round) | Defensive Back |
| Lauvale Sape | Buffalo (6th round) | Defensive Line |
| Josh Savage | Tampa Bay (free agent), Tennessee | Defensive Line |
| Richard Seals | N.Y. Jets (free agent), New Orleans, Buffalo | Defensive Line |
| Paul Soliai | Miami (4th round) | Defensive Line |
| Pene Talamaivao | Buffalo (free agent), San Diego | Defensive Line |
| Kelly Talavou | Atlanta (free agent) | Defensive Line |
| Spencer Toone | Tennessee (7th round) | Linebacker |
| Eric Weddle | San Diego (2nd round) | Defensive Back |
Whittingham's Head Coaching Record
| Year | School | Overall Record | MWC Record | Bowl Game |
| 2005 | Utah | 7-5 | 4-4 | Emerald (beat Georgia Tech) |
| 2006 | Utah | 8-5 | 5-3 | Armed Forces (beat Tulsa) |
| 2006 | Utah | 9-4 | 5-3 | Poinsettia (beat Navy) |
| Totals | Utah | 24-14 | 14-10 | 3-0 |
