Utah football coach Morgan Scalley donates $2 Million to program
Mar 12, 2026, 10:21 AM | Updated: 10:36 am
Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley gestures to his players during the second half of an NCAA football game against the Kansas State Wildcats held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News)
(Photo courtesy of Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah head football coach Morgan Scalley and his wife, Liz, have pledged a $2 million gift to the Utah football program, the university announced Thursday.
The donation comes as Scalley begins his first full season leading the Utes, marking a personal investment in the program he has spent nearly two decades helping build.
“The University of Utah and particularly Utah Athletics have been an extremely important and influential part of my life,” Scalley said in a statement provided by Utah Athletics. “Liz and I simply wanted to do something for this amazing place that shows our faith in and commitment to the future of this incredible University.”
Giving back to the Utah football program that shaped him
For Morgan Scalley, the gift is about more than dollars — it’s about giving back to the program that has given him so much.
In his introductory press conference, Scalley made clear how Utah football helped shape nearly every chapter of Scalley’s life. It’s where he became a childhood fan, growing up rooting for his dad, where he developed into an All-American safety, where he helped lead the historic 2004 undefeated season, and where he built a coaching career that ultimately led to the head job.
Few people are more closely tied to the program’s modern rise than Scalley. He lived the transformation from Mountain West contender to national brand, first as a player and then as a coach under Kyle Whittingham.
Now, as the program enters a new era with Scalley at the helm, the donation represents a full-circle moment — a way to give back to the place that gave him his start, his career, and his identity in the game.
In many ways, it’s exactly what Utah football has always been built on: loyalty to the program and the people who helped build it.
After beginning his coaching career at Utah in 2006, Scalley spent nearly two decades rising through the ranks. He served as safeties coach, recruiting coordinator, and eventually defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach in December 2025 following Kyle Whittingham’s departure.
Now entering the first full season of the Scalley era, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said the gift reflects the coach’s long-standing commitment to the program.
“This extraordinary commitment by Morgan and Liz Scalley speaks to everything that makes them special and demonstrates their absolute love for the University of Utah,” Harlan said.
Scalley has already begun his tenure with a victory, guiding Utah to a 44–22 win over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Utah will open the 2026 season on Sept. 3 at Rice-Eccles Stadium against Idaho, marking Scalley’s first regular-season game as the Utes’ head coach.
The Bottom Line
The $2 million gift adds to the long tradition of former players and coaches reinvesting in the Utah program, helping fund scholarships, facilities, and program development as the Utes continue building in the Big 12 era.
As Utah transitions into a new era of leadership and continues navigating the evolving financial landscape of college athletics, Scalley is quite literally investing in the program he now leads.
The former Ute safety has long talked about culture, commitment, and building something that lasts. This donation speaks to those words with action.
