Sixty-two year-old Utah Utes head football coach Kyle Whittingham has said in the past that he may not want to coach past age 65, but should he do so, he’s in line to receive a hefty sum of money.
Whittingham has had his contract, which is set to run through 2027 when he would be 68, amended, the details of which have been made available to the Deseret News.
Most notably, Whittingham will receive significantly more money, both from the University of Utah and through the school’s media partnership with Learfield and an outfit agreement with Under Armour.
In all, Whittingham is set to earn $6 million in 2022, $4.5 million in pay from the school and $1.5 million together from Learfield and Under Armour.
What’s more, Whittingham is set to get a $200,000 raise from the school in 2023 and then raises of $100,000 each year over the previous year through the life of the contract, should both parties see it through to the end.
In other words, the raise in 2024 will be $300,000, up to $400,000 in 2025, $500,000 in 2026 and $600,000 in 2027.
Whittingham’s base pay will be $6.5 million in 2027, meaning he would earn $8 million that year when combined with the Learfield and Under Armour money.
All this is aside from bonuses Whittingham has the potential to earn, such as $400,000 each time the Utes get a bid in either the College Football Playoff or a New Year’s Six bowl.
“Kyle Whittingham has elevated our football program to the highest levels of success, while also establishing a culture of excellence that prioritizes the academic achievement and overall development of our student-athletes,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement.
“It is important that we continue to invest in our football program, and equip coach Whittingham and his coaching staff with sufficient resources to be able to sustain success that ultimately benefits all of our athletics programs and our entire department. This is a commitment that recognizes what coach Whittingham and his program have achieved, and reinforces our intention to build upon that success in the years to come.”
In 17 years at the helm at Utah, Whittingham has a record of 144-70 and led the Utes to their first Rose Bowl berth in program history last season.