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Utah HC Morgan Scalley Reveals True Feelings on Michigan HC Kyle Whittingham

Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley did not hide his emotions when asked about Kyle Whittingham’s departure from Utah and the abrupt end to the handoff that had been years in the making. In a recent …


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Former head coach of the Utah Utes, Kyle Whittingham.

Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley did not hide his emotions when asked about Kyle Whittingham’s departure from Utah and the abrupt end to the handoff that had been years in the making.

In a recent sitting with On3, Scalley revealed his honest feelings on the present Michigan Wolverines head coach, his former mentor.

“I love Kyle Whittingham,” he revealed to On3. “That guy helped me believe in myself as a defensive football player. I was an offensive guy that he ended up switching to defense.”

Whittingham had mentored him through his entire career, giving him “opportunity after opportunity”. Scalley also pushed back on any suggestion he helped force the move, saying there was “no way” he had anything to do with pushing Whittingham out.

“I was 100 percent loyal to him and have nothing but respect and love for him,” Scalley added.

Whittingham formally stepped down as Utah’s head coach on Dec. 12 after 21 seasons, ending one of the most durable runs in the sport. Utah said at the time he would coach the Las Vegas Bowl, but Michigan later reached an agreement to bring him in immediately, shifting the timeline.

Kyle Whittingham’s Chaotic Exit to a Morgan Scalley’s New Start

Morgan Scalley

GettyDevon Dampier and head coach Morgan Scalley of the Utah Utes celebrate with the championship trophy.

Scalley described the days after the original retirement announcement as chaotic because Utah had to prepare for a bowl game, monitor the transfer portal and manage the risk of staff departures at the same time.

“It was super chaotic,” he said, because the Utes had expected Whittingham to coach his final game before Michigan changed the equation. Whittingham’s exit to Ann Arbor came immediately.

“The fortunate thing is the players really stepped up to the plate,” Scalley said. “They answered the bell, and that’s what gets missed in all this — how much the players really committed to winning that game.”

Utah’s 2026 outlook has already been shaped by the coaching change, with offensive line coach Jim Harding following Whittingham to Michigan and the Utes trying to replace major production up front after an 11-win season.

“Did I know he would go to Michigan? No. Did I feel like he could go coach somewhere? One hundred percent,” Utah head coach said. “He’s a good coach. And if I’m in Kyle’s shoes, he’s got to do what he feels is best for Michigan.”

Morgan Scalley Wishes to Create His Own Dynasty at Utah

Morgan Scalley

GettyMorgan Scalley intends to create his own dynasty at Utah.

Scalley has already shown he intends to lead Utah with both continuity and his own identity.

In March, he and his wife pledged a $2 million gift to the football program, with Scalley saying the university had been “an extremely important and influential part” of his life and that the family wanted to show “faith in and commitment to the future.”

On the field, Utah’s spring reports suggest the program is settling into a new phase under Scalley. The team completed its 15 spring practices in April and the coach has already been evaluating personnel, including a new offensive line group and quarterback Devon Dampier’s command of the offense.

“My language and the culture we’re building here just builds off of Kyle,” Scalley said. “I wouldn’t say it’s distinctly different. It’s just my way, my viewpoint.”

The larger takeaway is that Scalley’s feelings about Whittingham are rooted in loyalty, not resentment. He called Whittingham a mentor and made clear he was never trying to accelerate the end. However, he has also moved quickly to establish that it will be his program, built on Whittingham’s foundation but shaped by his own decisions.

Source: Utah News

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I’m a space scientist. Utah is subsidizing my research with its health.

The Great Salt Lake’s decline is providing valuable scientific data for astrobiologists, but the cost is being paid by the 2.5 million Utahns facing the consequences of its decline.

The Great Salt Lake’s decline is providing valuable scientific data for astrobiologists, but the cost is being paid by the 2.5 million Utahns facing the consequences of its decline.

Source: Utah News

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Utah rolls out new seat belt campaign and crack down

Fewer Utah drivers are wearing seat belts, and Utah officials have a new campaign to turn those numbers around.

SALT LAKE CITY — Fewer Utah drivers are wearing seat belts, and Utah officials have a new campaign to turn those numbers around.

That means that, statewide, police are cracking down on drivers who don’t buckle up. Drivers will notice new billboards, a TV commercial, and police actively watching for drivers not wearing their seat belts.

Here’s why — the number of Utah drivers wearing seat belts continues to drop. According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, Utah’s seat belt use in 2025 was down to 89.6%. That’s a decline from 2024 and 2023, when, at 92.4%, seat belt use hit an all-time high.

To encourage more drivers to buckle up, 37 police agencies across the state are working 335 extra shifts, from May 18 through May 31, to ticket drivers not wearing a seat belt.

The state is also rolling out a new ad, telling Utah drivers to buckle up and live for another adventure.

“Any level of crash could be fatal; we’ve had very slow mile per hour crashes that ended with fatalities on Utah roads simply because people chose not to buckle up,” said Jason Mettmann, Utah Highway Safety Office communications manager.

So far in 2026, Utah has seen 16 deadly crashes involving people not wearing their seat belts, resulting in the deaths of 19 people. The research shows women wear their seat belts more than men, by 6.5%.

But the message applies to everyone. Utah law states that everyone riding in a car or truck must wear a seat belt. If not, the police will remind you with a ticket.

Source: Utah News

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How Utah homeowners can navigate water conservation efforts and HOA regulations

As Utah homeowners are urged to water less during ongoing drought conditions, it may cause friction with what the HOA requires.

SALT LAKE CITY — The month of May is halfway gone, but Utah water leaders and local officials continue to plead with residents to limit irrigation use.

The state remains in what the Utah Department of Water Resources calls a “serious drought,” due to record-low snowpack.

“Currently, 100% of the state is in some form of drought, and 59% is in extreme drought,” the department stated in a media release on Thursday. The ongoing drought conditions prompted water districts across the state to delay the start of the irrigation season until May 15.

However, Utahns are still being asked to reduce water use.

Residents in Salt Lake County served by the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District are urged to cut their water use by 10% and only water lawns twice a week — after the agency issued a level 2 “severe” notice.

“Of course, if your lawn and plants are still looking healthy right now, there’s no reason to turn on your sprinkler system right away – the longer you can wait, the better,” said Kelly Good, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District spokesperson, in a statement to KSL.

Further north, residents served by the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District are urged to cut back by 20%. Such limitations could pose issues for homeowners living under Homeowners Association rules, who are navigating efforts to conserve water while avoiding potential fines for unkempt lawns.

Trever Midgley, president and founder of HOA Strategies, a property management company in Kaysville, says residents should be aware that Utah laws trump regulations set by their homeowners’ associations.

“What owners should know is that every HOA in Utah should have water-wise rules of what’s allowed in your neighborhood, so it’s key for homeowners to kind of understand what those rules are, if you operate within that framework with their HOA,” he said.

Under Utah’s Community Association Act, which governs all HOAs and community associations — excluding condominiums — residents wanting to limit irrigation use due to drought conditions are protected in doing so, and associations are expected to comply with the law.

Yet Midgley encourages homeowners to be aware of the rules in place in the community where they reside.

“So, while yes, you can move to water-wise landscaping, you still want to make sure you understand if there are any materials that are not allowed, etc.,” he cautioned. “And make sure you just kind of work with your HOA board to get that approved before you put that investment into your property.”

Water conservation experts suggest proper irrigation methods, such as watering early in the morning and infrequently.

“​​The majority of us are applying twice as much water as we need to, so quite honestly, we could just, you know, take that (and) cut it in half, that would be massive savings just to start irrigating right, without making any changes in your landscape,” said Bryan Hopkins, a professor of plant and wildlife sciences at Brigham Young University.

Another idea that could be more costly involves a type of grass that can withstand drought.

Up until about two years ago, hybrid Bermuda grass was considered a noxious weed in Utah, but thanks to the efforts of Hopkins and other researchers, it was legalized in 2024 as a more drought-resistant grass.

The downside, however, is its availability, though Hopkins said that may begin to improve as demand increases, and more sod farms may start offering it in the future.

For residents seeking more ways to conserve water as drought conditions may potentially worsen, Hopkins suggests visiting the Utah State University Center for Water-Efficient Landscaping’s website for helpful tips.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

Source: Utah News

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Utah officers help take suspect into custody in Arizona for California homicide

Utah Bureau of Land Management officers helped the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona take a suspect into custody who was accused of homicide in Californ …

LITTLEFIELD, Arizona (KUTV) — Utah Bureau of Land Management officers helped the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona take a suspect into custody who was accused of homicide in California.

Officers with the San Diego Police Department contacted Mohave deputies on May 5 with news that a homicide suspect from one of their cases could be camping in a remote area near Beaver Dam and Littlefield.

Deputies conducted surveillance over the next few days and found a travel trailer on the bank of the Virgin River, approximately four miles west of Littlefield.

MORE | Crime

At about 1 p.m. on May 9, a team consisting of Mohave County deputies, a K-9 unit, and BLM officers from Utah, Nevada, and Arizona converged on the trailer to try to detain the suspect, identified as 60-year-old Noel Frishknecht.

Using a drone, the team timed their approach “perfectly” as Frishknecht entered the trailer and would be less likely to see them approaching in the open desert.

They gathered in front of the trailer and commanded Frishknecht to come out.

Frishknecht was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Adult Detention Facility in Kingman.

“Without the close cooperation between the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, BLM, and the information provided by San Diego PD Homicide Department, this would have been extremely difficult to navigate safely,” the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said. “We thank them all for their cooperation and the safe outcome for all involved.”

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Source: Utah News

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Utah’s Sun Tunnels are the strangest desert stop you can visit

Utah is home to a wide range of landscapes, from the red rocks in the south to the incredible mountains up north. Yet, some of the quirkiest places in Utah are the most memorable. For instance, tucked …

Utah is home to a wide range of landscapes, from the red rocks in the south to the incredible mountains up north. Yet, some of the quirkiest places in Utah are the most memorable. For instance, tucked …

Source: Utah News

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Keller’s Perseverance was on Display During 2025-26 Season

During the 2025-26 campaign, Keller’s 62 assists and 88 points were team-highs. He played significant minutes on the Mammoth’s top line and top power play unit. Keller was on the ice in key moments …

It was quite the year for Utah Mammoth Captain Clayton Keller. In his second season as the Mammoth’s captain, Keller captained his team to their first NHL postseason berth in franchise history, and he had another strong season on the ice as the team’s leading scorer for the second consecutive season. Away from the Mammoth, Keller won Gold at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and became one of two American players to win Gold at every level of international hockey (2026 OWG, 2025 MWC, 2017 WJC, 2015 U18MWC). On the ice, there were plenty of things to highlight with Keller’s season.

During the 2025-26 campaign, Keller’s 62 assists and 88 points were team-highs. He played significant minutes on the Mammoth’s top line and top power play unit. Keller was on the ice in key moments and delivered when his team needed with six game-winning goals (T-2nd, Guenther) and a team-leading four overtime game-winning goals.

Keller achieved his fifth-straight 20+ goal season and fifth-straight 60+ point season. He set a new career-high in assists (62) and recorded his second-highest points output in his NHL career (88). Keller was +21 this season as well, another career-high. In addition to all of his achievements on the ice, Keller won two of the Mammoth’s post season player awards: Leading Scorer and MVP, as voted on by his teammates.

During the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Utah’s captain was tied for the team-lead with five points (1G, 4A) and averaged 21 and a half minutes of playing time per game. Keller has been committed to growing his game and leadership skills and that were on display this season.

“I always say nobody is harder on themselves than me,” Keller reflected in his exit interview. “I’m always breaking down things that I did nights after games and the next day. Just trying to make sure that I’m doing everything I can to be a good leader, be a good person. I also worry about my own game, as well. I think I’ve done a good job of balancing all that.”

However, this year was unlike others. On Thanksgiving, Keller’s father, Bryan, passed away unexpectedly. He turned to his teammates, coaches, family, and friends for support during this time. Keller also continued to show up for his teammates and didn’t miss a single game this season. For his perseverance and impactful contributions this season, the Utah chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association nominated Keller as the Mammoth’s Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Nominee. Being able to turn to his teammates was a moment Keller reflected on following the season.

“I went through a lot this year, and there were times when I needed my teammates to really help me in that role, and they did,” Keller shared. “That speaks volumes about the type of players and people away from the rink that we have. It was a good step in the right direction in terms of leadership, and I think I’m going to do everything I can to continue to get better.”

As much as Keller has given credit to his teammates for their help, Utah’s Captain continued to lead the way for the Mammoth this season. His strong leadership allowed others to grow their own leadership skills, including the young core.

“It starts with our captain,” alternate captain Mikhail Sergachev explained. “He’s been a great player on the ice, but off the ice, he’s been one of the best leaders.”

In addition to his ability to push the team forward and help the younger core grow, Keller’s teammates recognized his dedication and hard work, especially through the highs and lows of this year.

“(Keller) took amazing steps this year as a leader,” Utah Mammoth President of Hockey Operations and Alternate Governor, Chris Armstrong, explained. “How he handled all of the adversity in his personal life and continued to guide this team forward, and to give us his best every day, was truly remarkable, and certainly emblematic of the character of that individual.”

“It was pretty impressive, to be honest,” alternate captain Nick Schmaltz explained. “Went through a ton. Can’t imagine what he was going through in his family life. It was terrible. We were all devastated. He battled through it. Very impressive. Just shows how great of a leader he is. He didn’t want to miss any games. So, hats off to him. Great season by him.”

As the Mammoth head into the offseason eager to learn from this year and continue their growth as a team, it’ll all start with Keller leading the way once again.

“Super proud of this group,” Keller said. “We have a very special group of players, coaches, ownership, and management who all want to win. We feel that we’re going in the right direction. We’re super motivated and excited for the summer and leading up to next season.”

Source: Utah News

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NBA Trade Rumors: Utah Jazz talking with the Wizards?

Most likely, though, the Jazz are doing their due diligence. If the Jazz didn’t at least call the Wizards to talk, it would be negligent.

Most likely, though, the Jazz are doing their due diligence. If the Jazz didn’t at least call the Wizards to talk, it would be negligent.

Source: Utah News