Utah football coach Morgan Scalley prepares for NCAA transfer portal and coaching moves

After winning the Las Vegas Bowl, the Utes are preparing for a coaching change and roster shakeup.

Las Vegas • Morgan Scalley looked up into the stands as a pack of Utah fans chanted his name at Allegiant Stadium.

“Morgan! Morgan! Morgan!” yelled a group of adoring Utah fans as the Utes’ new head coach flashed a winner’s smile and flashed the “U” with both hands.

Afterward, Scalley escaped a storm of red and white confetti and headed into the tunnel after No. 15 Utah’s dominant 44-22 win over Nebraska on New Year’s Eve.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions for Utah’s new head coach in the days leading up to his first-ever victory.

Kyle Whittingham resigned on Dec. 12 and then left for Michigan last week. Rumors, negotiations and preparations for the Las Vegas Bowl took place simultaneously.

“I don’t remember where I was,” Scalley said when asked where he was when he found out he would soon take over as Utah’s head coach. “I don’t know where I was – dead serious. It was just crazy.”

Scalley said he relied on 5-Hour Energy bottles to get through it all.

But something else, Scalley said, holds everything together.

“It takes a strong culture to resist change,” Scalley said. “That’s the one thing about this place that’s special in this day and age of college football where everybody’s telling these young men to get theirs.”

Utah’s new boss saw that when Utah fired Ron McBride and moved on to Urban Meyer. Then when Meyer left for Florida, it worked when Whittingham was promoted.

He’ll need it now as he takes over the Utes program.

“Teams will continue to win championships, not individuals, so it will always be about the team at the University of Utah,” Scalley said. “Change will happen. That’s just the environment we’re in.”

Junior quarterback Devon Dampier, who has yet to announce whether he will return to the Utes or enter the NCAA transfer portal, praised Scalley for keeping the Ute ship afloat.

“I think the way Scalley came in right away … he went in there with confidence,” Dampier said. “And as players you know things are going to change.

“But he just picked us up from the jump and during this journey.

Senior linebacker Lander Barton said practices remained challenging, but Scalley also allowed the team to have fun when it mattered.

“I really never felt like the team was ever really distracted by what was going on around us,” Barton said. “I mean, it’s made it easier, too, because it’s a good bunch of guys and they’re bought into the culture. We’re all here for one reason.”

Scalley now knows the hard part begins now.

The transfer portal opens on Friday.

Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck is a target for the Michigan job.

Several assistants from Utah were able to join him in Ann Arbor as well. However, Scalley has a plan for what could come in Salt Lake City.

But what comes first?

“My number one goal is to make sure our guys get home for Las Vegas curfew tonight,” Scalley joked. “That’s number one. So other than that, we’ll work after that.”

Scalley is confident in everything to come.

“This is a big-time profession, and if people don’t think we’ve already planned, we’ve already looked for the next step, then they don’t know us,” Scalley said. “We’ll be ready for whatever comes, and we look forward to those who want to be Utes.”

He is also excited to be the next head coach at his alma mater.

Scalley also reminded Utah fans of one major thing he will always believe in.

“This program will always be bigger than one person,” Scalley said. “It’s always going to be about Utah football and not Morgan Scalley.”