Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham before a game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Utah's Kyle Whittingham ranks among college football's top 25 coaching hires

Originally posted on Utah Utes on SI | By Cole Forsman | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 10:18 PM ET

Kyle Whittingham's lasting impact on the Utah football program has landed him on CBS Sports' rankings of this century's top 25 head coaching hires in college football.

Whittingham, entering his 21st season at the helm of the Utes, checks in at No. 12 on CBS' list of the best coaching hires of the past 25 years.

Utah has finished with a winning record in 17 of Whittingham's first 20 years as head coach, highlighted by back-to-back conference titles while a member of the Pac-12 conference.

"There's a collection of legendary internal hires in college football history, and Whittingham belongs near the top," writes CBS Sports' Sehan Jeyarajah. "He sometimes gets slight criticism for taking over a 13-0 powerhouse that Urban Meyer left behind, but Whittingham built a program in his own image."

Whittingham has accumulated a career record of 167-86 (66% win percentage), including 11-6 (64.7%) in bowl games. When including his 11 seasons with the program as an assistant coach, Whittingham has contributed to more victories (252) than any coach in program history.

The Utes' 44 appearances in the weekly College Football Playoff top 25 rankings are tied for the eighth-most appearances of any school, and they've finished in the final CFP rankings seven times. Utah has also made the final Associated Press top 25 eight times and the final Coaches’ poll nine times under Whittingham.

In addition to on-the-field success, Whittingham has helped the Utes develop a reputation for churning out NFL talent on a yearly basis. Utah's 30 draft selections from 2017-24 ranked as the most among the current Big 12 members.

Alabama bringing in Nick Saban ahead of the 2007 campaign is CBS' No. 1 hire of the 21st century. Meyer's decision to leave for Florida in 2005 comes in at No. 2, followed by Clemson hiring Dabo Sweeney in 2009, Pete Carroll taking over USC in 2001 and Georgia's decision to hire Kirby Smart in 2016, rounding out the top five.