Kyle Whittingham Says Last Year Was “Most Frustrating” In His Career

FRISCO, Texas – Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham couldn’t hang up the headset after how the 2024 season played out for the Utes.

He joined the KSL Sports Zone to talk about last season and what’s next for the University of Utah.

The 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days is held at The Star, the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters, on July 8 and 9.

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Joining the station now is @Utah_Football Head Coach Kyle Whittingham @AlexKirryKSL @975Hans @PKKinahan
🎧: https://t.co/xmPgIRao9Z pic.twitter.com/s4VO8rEe1f

— 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone (@KSLSportsZone) July 9, 2025

The expectations were sky high for Utah football heading into their first season as a member of the Big 12 Conference in 2024.

After a slew of injuries and other unforeseen circumstances, the Utes finished the season near the bottom of the conference with a record of 5-7.

Whittingham said that retirement was on the table, but he couldn’t go out with a bad taste in his mouth.

“Last year was so frustrating and so disappointing,” Whittingham said. “I couldn’t have possibly said ‘Ok, that’s it.’ I couldn’t have walked away on that note. It was the most frustrating year of my coaching career. I would’ve never been able to come to terms with that.”

Now, with a year of recovery for returners and some new energized faces in new places, Utah is ready to bounce back.

Whittingham highlighted the offensive line and new transfer QB Devon Dampier. He also said he expects the usual from his defense, the best.

“I’m excited about this team,” Whittingham said. “I think we’ve got a good group and a lot of things going for us. Starting up front, we feel good about the line of scrimmage. We’re excited about Devon Dampier. He’s a terrific leader. Defensively, we’ve been good for decades, so I don’t expect anything different this year. I’m excited about the possibilities, but of course, you’ve got to go out there and do it.”

One big change for Utah football this season was the hiring of Jason Beck as offensive coordinator.

Whittingham said that the program was impressed with his playcalling at New Mexico, and the addition of Dampier ended up being a nice bonus.

“It came down to being very impressed with what New Mexico was doing on offense,” Whittingham said. “The innovation, the creativity, the way that he called the plays and utilized formations and personnel. We arrived at the same conclusion that Jason Beck would be a great fit for us. Just so happened he had a great quarterback who was only a sophomore. It was a 2-for-1 in a lot of respects.”

The Utes will open their 2025 season on August 30 against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Big 12 Football 2025

Arizona State, which was picked to finish last in the 2024 preseason media poll, won the championship during its inaugural season in the Big 12.

The Big 12 is preparing for its second season as a 16-team league.

RELATED: Big 12 Preseason Poll: KSL Sports Edition

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Last season, BYU finished with an 11-2 record and a 7-2 conference record. Utah was the preseason favorite to win the Big 12 during its first year, but ended up finishing 5-7 overall and 2-7 in league games.

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Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

You can find KSL Sports coverage of the Utes here.

Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com. Follow Chandler on X for Utah Jazz and Locals In The NFL updates.

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