The football coaches' visit, which apparently caused a minor disruption to the business of the day, was well-received by state lawmakers — contrary to some of the dialogue on Capitol Hill about Utah's athletics department.
A legislative subcommittee ordered a performance audit in February, less than a month after the cancellation of Utah's annual men's basketball series with BYU. Other lawmakers have been openly critical of Utah athletics, saying the sports department threatens to overshadow the academic goals of the university.
Whittingham said he didn't have many conversations with the state's political bigwigs, but merely was visiting a number of different sessions.