BYU, Utah, USU Coaches Named Semifinalists For George Munger Award
Dec 16, 2021, 4:25 PM | Updated: 4:37 pm
The College Football Playoff will have an impact on BYU, Utah, and Utah State. (Courtesy of Getty Images)
(Courtesy of Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Maxwell Football Club named all three FBS head coaches in the state of Utah as semifinalists for the George Munger Coach of the Year Award.
The Munger Award semifinalists were named on Thursday, December 16.
BYU’s Kalani Sitake, Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, and Utah State’s Blake Anderson were honored as three of the 13 semifinalists for the Coach of the Year award.
All three coaches were previously named finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award.
2021 George Munger Coach of the Year Award Semifinalists
- Blake Anderson, Utah State
- Dave Aranda, Baylor
- Dave Clawson, Wake Forest
- Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
- Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
- Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
- Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
- Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh
- Sam Pittman, Arkansas
- Nick Saban, Alabama
- Kalani Sitake, BYU
- Kirby Smart, Georgia
- Jeff Traylor, UTSA
- Mel Tucker, Michigan State
- Kyle Whittingham, Utah
Kalani Sitake in 2021
Sitake led BYU to a 10-2 regular season. The 2021 BYU squad was a perfect 5-0 against Pac-12 teams this season, including a win over Pac-12 Champion Utah back on September 11. BYU finished ranked No. 13 in the final College Football Playoff rankings.
Our Coach 🤙 pic.twitter.com/ilvRTHo6Xe
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) December 16, 2021
BYU plays against UAB in the Independence Bowl on Saturday, December 18.
Kyle Whittingham in 2021
Whittingham guided Utah to its first-ever Pac-12 Championship and Rose Bowl appearance in the most challenging year of his coaching career after the tragic deaths of Utah players Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe. After starting the season 1-2, Whittingham’s Utes won 9 of their final 10 games. The other season was in 2008 when the Utes put together a perfect Sugar Bowl-winning campaign.
.@UtahCoachWhitt is a finalist for another Coach of the Year award. 🙌#GoUtes https://t.co/X23QZNtOcs
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 14, 2021
Utah plays against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on Saturday, January 1.
Expectations were low for Blake Anderson in his first year at Utah State. But the successful head coach from Arkansas State blew everyone’s thoughts on the 2021 Aggies out of the water with a 10-3 record and a Mountain West Conference championship.
Our HC 👏
Congratulations to @CHbanderson on being named a semifinalist for the George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year Award!
➡️https://t.co/Q8tOdWNpPm#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/So41t6CCdc
— USU Football (@USUFootball) December 16, 2021
Utah State plays against Oregon State in the LA Bowl on Saturday, December 18.
