The Utah Utes suspended defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley for texting a racial slur in 2013. James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Utah Utes suspend DC Morgan Scalley for racist text from 2013

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 6/5/20

As ESPN's Mark Schlabach wrote, the Utah Utes have suspended defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley after learning about a text message he sent in 2013 that included racist language.

Utah athletic director Mark Harlan tweeted the news on Friday:

pic.twitter.com/G5Oe2yIFaH
— Mark Harlan (@MarkHarlan_AD) June 5, 2020

Scalley offered an apology in a statement released by the university, via Schlabach:

"In 2013 I made a terrible mistake. I used a racial slur in a text message. This language is offensive and hurtful to not only the African-American community, but to all. Immediately after sending it, I apologized to the recipient and his family. I am also heartbroken over the potential breach of trust with my fellow coaches, and with the young men in our program, both past and present."

Per the program's official website, Scalley served as Utah’s recruiting coordinator from 2009 to '15 before becoming the special teams coordinator in 2015. He was defensive coordinator each season from 2016 to '19, and he's served as Utah safeties coach throughout his tenure with the university.

Scalley was a finalist for the 2019 Broyles Award, given to the best assistant in college football, after Utah finished the campaign second in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision total defense.

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