A Coach’s Journey: Utah Defensive Coordinator Morgan Scalley
Sep 21, 2022, 10:59 AM | Updated: 11:05 am
Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley is interviewed following University of Utah football practice in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017. (Ravell Call, Deseret News)
(Ravell Call, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – From player to coach, a Utah man he is. Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley sat down with Hans Olsen to discuss his coaching journey, which has all taken place up on the hill.
“I love teaching. I love progress. I love seeing the light come on,” Scalley said of his love for coaching.
Scalley has coached and played under some incredible coaches and defensive minds including Kyle Whittingham, Gary Andersen and Urban Meyer.
Morgan Scalley’s Utah Journey
Scalley played DB for the University of Utah from 2001-2004 and has been a Ute ever since. After a brief stint in sports radio, Scalley signed on as an administrative assistant under Kyle Whittingham for the 2006 season and then moved up to graduate assistant.
After almost leaving to pursue a career using his MBA, Scalley interviewed and received the safeties coach position, “and the rest is history.”
Family is first for Scalley, which plays into the reason he has always stayed at Utah despite other opportunities.
Top PAC-12 Defensive Coordinators for 2022:
1. Morgan Scalley (Utah)
2. Alex Grinch (USC)
3. Tosh Lupoi (Oregon)
4. William Inge (UW)
5. Peter Sirmon (Cal)6-12 and analysis ⤵️ https://t.co/jOqhAIj4f7
— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) February 27, 2022
“My priority has always been my family. So as long as I can make sure they are in a good situation and as long as I was with good people … I saw people take different job opportunities and the majority of them always said they regretted leaving,” Scalley told Hans.
In 2016, Scalley’s work paid off and he became Utah’s defensive coordinator. He remembered feeling well prepared for the position because former Utah coach and current BYU head coach Kalani Sitake guided him and helped develop his abilities.
“We can do big things here,” he said of the Utah Football program.
A Coach’s Journey is a special addition to the Hans & Scotty G. podcast feed hosted by Hans Olsen. Olsen seeks to have in-depth conversations with local college football coaches about their ups and downs as they chase the dream.
