List of Utah Utes head football coaches

The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that represents the University of Utah. The team has had 23 head coaches since organized football began in 1892. Harvey Holmes was the first paid head coach, and the Utes have had 17 paid, professional head coaches. The Utes have played in more than 1,000 games during its 116 seasons. In those seasons, 5 coaches have led the Utes to postseason bowl games: Ike Armstrong, Ray Nagel, Ron McBride, Urban Meyer, and Kyle Whittingham. 7 coaches have won conference championships with the Utes: Thomas Fitzpatrick, Armstrong, Jack "Cactus Jack" Curtice, Nagel, McBride, Meyer, and Whittingham. Armstrong is the all-time leader in number of games coached with 211, years coached with 25, and total wins with 141. Meyer is the all-time leader in winning percentage with a percentage of .917 in his two seasons at Utah. Tom Lovat is, in terms of winning percentage, the worst coach the Utes have had with a percentage of .152 during his three seasons as head coach (with the exception of Walter Shoup who only coached one game in 1895.)

Of the 23 Utes head coaches, Ike Armstrong has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Kyle Whittingham is the current head coach and has received National Coach of the Year honors from multiple organizations. He was hired in December 2004.

Key

Coaches

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

|+ List of head football coaches showing season(s) coached, overall records, conference records, postseason records, championships and selected awards{{#tag:ref|Statistics correct as of the end of the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season.|group="A"}}

! #

! Name

! Term

! GC

! W

! L

! T

! WP%

! CW

! CL

! CT

! C%

! PW

! PL

! PT

! WP%

! CCs

! class="unsortable" | National awards

align="center" | 1

| align="center" | Robert Harkness

| align="center" | 1894

| align="center" | 3

| align="center" | 1

| align="center" | 2

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .333

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 2

| align="center" | Walter Shoup

| align="center" | 1895

| align="center" | 1

| align="center" | 0

| align="center" | 1

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .000

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 3

| align="center" | C. B. Ferris

| align="center" | 1896

| align="center" | 5

| align="center" | 3

| align="center" | 2

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .600

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 4

| align="center" | Byron Cummings

| align="center" | 1897

| align="center" | 6

| align="center" | 1

| align="center" | 5

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .166

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 5

| align="center" | Benjamin Wilson

| align="center" | 1898

| align="center" | 3

| align="center" | 2

| align="center" | 1

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .667

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 6

| align="center" | Charles Gatehouse

| align="center" | 1899

| align="center" | 3

| align="center" | 2

| align="center" | 1

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .667

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 7

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Harvey|Holmes}}

| align="center" | 1900–1903

| align="center" | 23

| align="center" | 13

| align="center" | 9

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

| align="center" | .587

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 8

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Joe|Maddock|Joe Maddock (coach)}}

| align="center" | 1904–1909

| align="center" | 38

| align="center" | 28

| align="center" | 9

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

| align="center" | .750

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 9

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Fred|Bennion}}

| align="center" | 1910–1913

| align="center" | 27

| align="center" | 16

| align="center" | 8

| align="center" | {{nts|3}}

| align="center" | .648

| align="center" | {{nts|10}}

| align="center" | {{nts|6}}

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

| align="center" | .618

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 10

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Nelson|Norgren}}

| align="center" | 1914–1917

| align="center" | 24

| align="center" | 13

| align="center" | 11

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .542

| align="center" | {{nts|10}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .500

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 11

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Thomas|Fitzpatrick|Thomas Fitzpatrick (coach)}}

| align="center" | 1919–1924

| align="center" | 43

| align="center" | 23

| align="center" | 17

| align="center" | {{nts|3}}

| align="center" | .570

| align="center" | {{nts|17}}

| align="center" | {{nts|10}}

| align="center" | {{nts|3}}

| align="center" | .617

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 12

| align="center" bgcolor="#FFE6BD" | {{Sortname|Ike|Armstrong}}{{College Football HoF|id=1438|name=Ike Armstrong |accessdate=2010-08-14 }}†

| align="center" | 1925–1949

| align="center" | 211

| align="center" | 141

| align="center" | 55

| align="center" | {{nts|15}}

| align="center" | .704

| align="center" | {{nts|108}}

| align="center" | {{nts|24}}

| align="center" | {{nts|8}}

| align="center" | .800

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

{{#tag:ref|The Pineapple Bowl, which was Armstrong's only loss in a bowl game, was not an NCAA certified bowl game and counts a regular season loss in official NCAA records.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/20/sports/on-college-football-fish-to-fedex-bowl-name-game.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1 |title=ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Fish to FedEx: Bowl Name Game |author=Joe Drape |work=The New York Times |access-date=2010-08-14 | date=2001-12-20}}{{cite web |url=http://www.cfbtrivia.com/cfbt_detail.php?fry=1892&thy=2009&teamname=Utah&bowl=on&allop=on |title=Utah Bowl Games |publisher=College Football Trivia |access-date=2010-08-14}}|group="A"}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .500

| align="center" | {{nts|13}}

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 13

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Jack|Curtice}}

| align="center" | 1950–1957

| align="center" | 81

| align="center" | 45

| align="center" | 32

| align="center" | {{nts|4}}

| align="center" | .580

| align="center" | {{nts|32}}

| align="center" | {{nts|9}}

| align="center" | {{nts|2}}

| align="center" | .767

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

| align="center" | {{nts|4}}

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 14

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Ray|Nagel}}

| align="center" | 1958–1965

| align="center" | 82

| align="center" | 42

| align="center" | 39

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

| align="center" | .518

| align="center" | {{nts|21}}

| align="center" | {{nts|17}}

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

| align="center" | .551

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | 1.000

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 15

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Mike|Giddings}}

| align="center" | 1966–1967

| align="center" | 21

| align="center" | 9

| align="center" | 12

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .429

| align="center" | {{nts|5}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .500

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 16

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Bill|Meek}}

| align="center" | 1968–1973

| align="center" | 64

| align="center" | 33

| align="center" | 31

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .516

| align="center" | {{nts|23}}

| align="center" | {{nts|14}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .622

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 17

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Tom|Lovat}}

| align="center" | 1974–1976

| align="center" | 33

| align="center" | 5

| align="center" | 28

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .152

| align="center" | {{nts|5}}

| align="center" | {{nts|12}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .294

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 18

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Wayne|Howard|Wayne Howard (American football)}}

| align="center" | 1977–1981

| align="center" | 56

| align="center" | 30

| align="center" | 24

| align="center" | {{nts|2}}

| align="center" | .554

| align="center" | {{nts|17}}

| align="center" | {{nts|13}}

| align="center" | {{nts|2}}

| align="center" | .563

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 19

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Chuck|Stobart}}

| align="center" | 1982–1984

| align="center" | 34

| align="center" | 16

| align="center" | 17

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

| align="center" | .485

| align="center" | {{nts|10}}

| align="center" | {{nts|11}}

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

| align="center" | .477

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 20

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Jim|Fassel}}

| align="center" | 1985–1989

| align="center" | 58

| align="center" | 25

| align="center" | 33

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .431

| align="center" | {{nts|14}}

| align="center" | {{nts|26}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .350

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 21

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Ron|McBride}}

| align="center" | 1990–2002

| align="center" | 151

| align="center" | 88

| align="center" | 63

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .583

| align="center" | {{nts|58}}

| align="center" | {{nts|42}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .580

| align="center" | {{nts|3}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .500

| align="center" | 2

| align="center" | {{ntsh|999}}—

align="center" | 22

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Urban|Meyer}}

| align="center" | 2003–2004

| align="center" | 24

| align="center" | 22

| align="center" | 2

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .917

| align="center" | {{nts|13}}

| align="center" | {{nts|1}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | .929

| align="center" | {{nts|2}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | 1.000

| align="center" | 2

| align="center" | The Sporting News National Coach of the Year (2003){{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=1682747 |title=Utah's Meyer named coach of the year |publisher=ESPN.com |access-date=2010-08-14}}

Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (2004){{cite web |url=http://www.sportswriters.net/fwaa/awards/robinson/winners.html |title=Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award |publisher=Football Writers Association of America |access-date=2010-09-06}}

align="center" | 23

| align="center" | {{Sortname|Kyle|Whittingham}}

| align="center" | 2005–present

| align="center" | {{nts|253}}

| align="center" | {{nts|167}}

| align="center" | {{nts|86}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | {{Winning percentage|167|86}}

| align="center" | {{nts|102}}

| align="center" | {{nts|67}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | {{Winning percentage|102|67}}

| align="center" | {{nts|11}}

{{#tag:ref|Kyle Whittingham and Urban Meyer were listed as "Co-head Coaches" for the 2005 Fiesta Bowl; both coaches are credited with the win in official NCAA records.{{cite web |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_year_by_year.php?coachid=6755 |title=All-Time Coaching Records: Urban Meyer & Kyle Whittingham Records by Year |publisher=College Football Data Warehouse |access-date=2010-12-23}}|group="A"}}

| align="center" | {{nts|6}}

| align="center" | {{nts|0}}

| align="center" | {{Winning percentage|11|6}}

| align="center" | 3

| align="center" | Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (2008){{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=3837017 |title=Whittingham wins Bryant Award |publisher=ESPN.com |access-date=2010-08-14}}

AFCA National Coach of the Year Award (2008){{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=3831130 |title=Whittingham earns AFCA award |publisher=ESPN.com |access-date=2010-08-14}}

Notes

References

;General

{{cite web |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/mountainwest/utah/coaching_records.php |title=Utah Coaching Records | publisher=College Football Data Warehouse | access-date=2010-08-14}}

;Specific

{{reflist|refs=

}}

Utah

Category:Utah sports-related lists