Utah Utes head football coach Kyle Whittingham has signed a contract extension that will keep him in charge through the 2027 season, the school announced Wednesday.
The extension is an additional four years beyond his current contract.
“Kyle Whittingham has established a culture in the Utah Football program that not only achieves success on the field, but also in the classroom, the community and in the development of student-athletes for their future beyond their time on campus,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement. “This has been especially evident throughout the pandemic, as he has steadily demonstrated leadership, patience and flexibility, putting the priority of health and well-being for student-athletes above all else.”
Whittingham is entering his 16th season as head coach of the Utes and 27th overall at the school. He is second in school history with 131 wins, against 64 losses.
“We want to thank our Athletics Director Mark Harlan and our President Ruth Watkins for their unwavering support of our coaching staff and for their commitment to our football program,” Whittingham said in a statement. “This vote of confidence makes it very clear to recruits that our program has the full backing of our university, which is vital to our long-term success.”
Under Whittingham, the Utes have made the sixth-most appearances in the College Football Playoff rankings with 30, and has finished in the CFP Top 25 five times. His 11 bowl wins is tied for second among active coaches and is in the top 10 all-time.
Whittingham’s players also get the job done in the classroom, as the Utes lead the Pac-12 in Graduation Success Rate at 93%.