There's reportedly serious tension between Kyle Whittingham and Utah's AD
Could the Kyle Whittingham era be coming to an end at Utah?
According to the Salt Lake City Tribune's Gordon Monson, Whittingham is currently at odds with Utah athletic director Chris Hill. Monson's column, published Saturday night, comes after offensive coordinator Dave Christensen reportedly left to be Texas A&M's offensive line coach and run game coordinator and defensive coordinator and associate head coach Kalani Sitake left to take the same position at Oregon State.
Here's the beginning of Monson's article, which is a must read for Utah fans or fans of the Pac-12
After months of magma buildup, a volcanic blast is sheering the top off of Utah football, spewing rocks a mile high, triggering mudslides, leveling forests, choking off life as we know it there.
Sending Kyle Whittingham packing as the Utes’ head coach.
That’s right: He’s walking away.
I can’t report it as a fact — not yet — but it’s what is happening, based on what I’ve been told. And I believe what I’ve been told.
Another thing I believe: This story is far from over and the blast zone will grow bigger and bigger as time goes by.
According to Monson, there has been tension between the two since before the year and the 9-4 campaign for the Utes, which ended with a bowl win over Colorado State, didn't make a decision to remove Whittingham from his job as head coach as an easy one. However, Monson is quick to point out that this isn't a one-sided affair in Hill's direction.
Whittingham took over as Utah's coach at the end of the 2004 season after Urban Meyer's departure. In his tenure, he's compiled am 85-43 record and was mentioned as a possible candidate for the vacancy at Michigan, which looks more and more like it's going to be Jim Harbaugh's job if he wants it.
If Harbaugh does indeed go to Michigan, it looked like the college coaching carousel was coming to an end barring anything unforeseen. If Whittingham would leave Utah, the carousel would pick up steam. A nine-win team in a power conference is attractive and would garner many suitors. One coach leaving could lead to another coach leaving and you get the drift.
Oh, and a possible destination mentioned for Whittingham in Monson's article? BYU. The mere mention of that must give Utah fans the shivers. We'll see what happens as we head towards 2015.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
