Morgan Scalley is one step closer to filling out his inaugural coaching staff.
Utah’s latest addition to its coaching roster is Inoke Breckterfield, who will be the Utes’ new defensive ends coach.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the move Sunday, and Utah officially announced it later in the day.
“Inoke has one of the most impressive resumes in college football and has a proven track record of recruiting and developing elite pass rushers...I can’t wait for our defensive ends to learn from him,” Scalley said in a statement.
Breckterfield replaces Lewis Powell, who coached the defensive ends for 10 seasons at Utah before leaving for the same position under Kyle Whittingham at Michigan.
Breckterfield brings 16 years of defensive line coaching experience to Utah. He got his start as a defensive line coach at Weber State and has coached the position at UCLA, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Washington and Baylor.
At Pitt, he coached Aaron Donald, who went on to enjoy a highly successful NFL career that featured a Super Bowl championship, three-time Defensive Player of the Year honors and eight All-Pro appearances.
Breckterfield also helped develop eight-time NFL Pro Bowler and 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers while coaching at Wisconsin.
Breckterfield coached the defensive line at Wisconsin from 2015-2020, and in that time period, the Badgers’ defense finished in the top 10 in the country in points allowed five times while also finishing in the top 10 rushing defenses five times.
Wiconsin’s defense while Breckterfield was coach finished in the top 25 nationally in sacks two times. Additionally, Washington ranked in the top 25 in rushing defense and in sacks in one of Breckterfield’s two seasons in Seattle.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to be a part of a program with the defensive history of Utah,” Breckterfield said in a statement. “The Utes have always been known to play with relentless effort on the defensive side of the ball. I want to thank Coach Scalley for the opportunity, and I look forward to getting to SLC and working with our players!”
After six coaches left Utah for Michigan this offseason — offensive coordinator Jason Beck, offensive line coach Jim Harding, tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham, receivers coach Micah Simon, quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer Jr. and defensive ends coach Powell — Scalley has been hard at work assembling his own staff in the midst of the transfer portal opening.
With the hire of Breckterfield, Scalley’s coaching staff is nearly complete. Here’s a look at what Utah’s 2026 coaching staff looks like:
- Head coach: Morgan Scalley
- Offensive coordinator: Kevin McGiven
- Running backs: Mark Atuaia
- Wide receivers: Chad Bumphis
- Offensive line: Jordan Gross
- Tight ends: Still needs to be filled
- Quarterbacks: Likely McGiven, who has also coached the quarterbacks in the majority of his stints as offensive coordinator.
- Defensive coordinator: Colton Swan
- Defensive tackles: Luther Elliss
- Defensive ends: Inoke Breckterfield
- Linebackers: Colton Swan
- Cornerbacks/special teams: Sharrieff Shah
- Safeties: Derrick Odum
Should McGiven coach the quarterbacks, Utah needs just one more coach — tight ends — to round out Scalley’s coaching staff.