BYU or Utah may have a replacement coach lined up this morning. The one who rolls out plans for an official announcement first will be set. The other will have work to do.
The man front and center is Utah defensive coordinator Kyle Whittingham. Sources say the University of Utah has pushed hard in the past 48 hours for Whittingham to replace Florida-bound Urban Meyer. Utah officials offered Whittingham the head Ute coaching job and will demand a decision by today.
BYU, whose university president Cecil Samuelson and associate athletic directors Tom Holmoe, Peter Pilling and Brian Santiago completed a series of interviews Friday and Saturday, reacted to Utah's timetable Monday by rushing Whittingham to meet with an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a mandatory step in the hiring process of the church-owned school.
This tug of war, which has included discussions of money and length of a contract by both parties, should reach a conclusion today, according to informed sources close to both negotiating parties.
While BYU officials made the first run at Whittingham the day after Meyer accepted the Florida job last Thursday, Utah put on its show Sunday. Utah wheeled in high-ranking school officials and boosters. Approximately 30 Ute players swarmed in Whittingham's living room Sunday in an emotional plea for him to take the job.
Utah chose Meyer over Whittingham two years ago when Ron McBride stepped down.
If Whittingham elects to stay at Utah, expect a press conference today. Utah athletic director Chris Hill, however, declined comment through sports information director Liz Abel.
If Whittingham declines the Ute job for his alma mater to the south, where he played on the 1980 squad that defeated SMU in the Holiday Bowl, BYU may not have an official announcement until Wednesday or Thursday. Members of BYU's athletic administration return Wednesday from New York City, where LaVell Edwards will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame tonight.
Whittingham and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford were considered top Utah candidates immediately after Meyer decided to go to Florida, according to sources. Sanford decided Saturday to accept the head job at UNLV. Sanford will reportedly receive a five-year contract that pays $600,000 per year.
Monday afternoon, Sanford called the situation "a gold mine" at a press conference in Las Vegas.
"I have extremely high expectations," he said.
So, too, do his new bosses.
"Mike Sanford met all criteria that we set for a new coach from day one," UNLV athletic director Mike Hamrick said in announcing the hiring. "We believe our fans are in for some exciting, wide-open football. I know that he can't wait to get started on continuing to build this program into a consistent winner."
Sanford takes over for John Robinson, who retired after six seasons at UNLV. He played for Robinson at Southern California.
"His qualifications are impeccable and he coaches the best offense in America right now at Utah," Robinson said. "Mike has coached at many great universities and also in the NFL, so his experiences are fabulous. He is enthusiastic with an outgoing personality. Everyone is going to love him. I am happy for our players."
Sanford also drew praise from Meyer, who will be formally introduced as Florida's new coach today in Gainesville, Fla.
"Mike Sanford has an excellent offensive mind. He has been a big part of our success this year," he said. "He is not only a great coach, but a great person. Mike will do an outstanding job at UNLV."
Meyer has repeatedly predicted that Whittingham would be a successful head coach as well.
Utah's job is believed to be a deal worth $500,000 per year.
BYU's base package, the one utilized by former coach Gary Crowton, is estimated around $300,000 but could approach $400,000 to $450,000 a year with incentives, bonuses and a Nike shoe pact and radio/ TV contracts added.
BYU's other top candidates include USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow, whose public interest in the Cougar job has been less than positive, and current coaches Lance Reynolds, Bronco Mendenhall and Paul Tidwell. If BYU were to elevate any of its current assistants, the hiring process would not be as complicated as the one with Whittingham the past 72 hours.
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com; dirk@desnews.com