SALT LAKE CITY — As one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley is on the verge of being named the top assistant in college football. His candidacy is backed by some strong numbers.
The Pac-12 South champion Utes (11-1, 8-1) enter this week’s conference championship game against Oregon leading the nation in rushing defense (56.3 ypg). They’re third in scoring defense (11.3 ppg), total defense (241.6 ypg) and first downs defense (167); plus ranking fourth in team passing efficiency defense (107.52 rating).
Utah’s defensive unit also leads the Pac-12 in fewest passing yards allowed (185.3 ypg) third-down conversion defense (29.4%) and red zone defense (70%).
“If God blesses him to win this thing it couldn’t go to a more deserving person. It couldn’t go to a more deserving man, who understands what it really means to lead men.” — Utah cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah, on Morgan Scalley
Besides Scalley, the other finalists for the Broyles Award include Louisiana State passing game coordinator Joe Brady, Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning and Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Snow.
The winner will be named at a ceremony on Dec. 10 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Scalley has long insisted that Utah’s defense is all about the players. After all, he explained, “the players make plays.”
However, it’s much more than that, according to senior safety Julian Blackmon. He noted that Scalley wouldn’t be in the national conversation is he wasn’t a good coach.
“We’ve always known that we’ve had a genius at defensive coordinator,” Blackmon said. “He’s only done nothing but get better each year. So it means a lot to us.”
Blackmon added that the senior class has believed in Scalley and they have each others’ backs.
“It shows on the field,” Blackmon said.
Scalley was an All-American safety for Utah’s Fiesta Bowl championship team, also earning Mountain West Conference co-Defensive Player of the Year recognition and the inaugural Pat Tillman Award from the 2005 East-West Shine Game.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said Scalley is still every bit as intense as he’s always been.
“There is a great deal of similarity in how he plays and how he coaches with his style,” Whittingham said. “He is passionate, intense, always thinking. He is smart.”
Scalley, he continued, has all the tools to be a great defensive coordinator.
Utah cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah is certainly a big fan.
“That guy . . . I don’t even know where to begin or to end with him, other than to say for every good coach there is hallmarks — like foundational landmarks — that you can look at a coach and say ‘Man, what makes him good? Or if this is his tree, what’s the fruit falls from the tree?”
Shah explained that Scalley has made his assistants smart in four seasons as defensive coordinator.
“That’s his hallmark. I promise you no one will ever outwork him and what he doesn’t know he’ll spend endless hours figuring out,” Shah said. “He watches more film than all of the coaches combined.”
So much so, in fact, that Shah can tell Scalley about one clip out of 700 and he’ll remember the play.
“He has tremendous memory and he makes all of us better,” Shah continued.
As for the Broyles Award, Shah made his choice clear.
“If God blesses him to win this thing it couldn’t go to a more deserving person,” he said. “It couldn’t go to a more deserving man, who understands what it really means to lead men. We lead by his example. Coach (Scalley) is fantastic every day — every day coach the kids up, make them smarter, demand excellence from them and then when they feel like they’ve reached it, demand even more.”
The recognition, Shah concluded, is well deserved.