The signature season of Kyle Whittingham’s head coaching tenure didn’t require any salvaging, as Utah went 13-0 in 2008. Yet a case could be made that Whittingham has done his best work in years when his football team recovered after struggling in the first half of the season, and 2018 is shaping up as another one of those examples.
The media get three weekly snapshots of Whittingham — in his postgame news conference, his formal session Monday and a less formal briefing after Tuesday’s practice. Judging his level of satisfaction is always tricky, but his demeanor Tuesday suggested he’s happier with this team than any he has coached in a long time.