Utah was always known as one of the toughest teams in college football during the Kyle Whittingham era. However, the former head coach of the Utes might’ve been too tough on his players who suffered an injury.
He is accused of rushing them back before they were ready.
Six former college football players at the University of Utah raised concerns about Whittingham. The university denies the allegations.
Kyle Whittingham is accused of threatening injured players.
Val Fillinger, a former four-star defensive end recruit, broke his lower tibia in 2022. He was not able to return in time for the fall of 2023 because his angle was still “destroyed.” A doctor told him to sit out at least six weeks on full rest.
His position coach agreed to let him take a redshirt to preserve his eligibility. According to a new report from Jason Batacao of the Salt Lake Tribune, head coach Kyle Whittingham had a different plan.
Edge rusher Logan Fano tore his ACL three weeks into the 2023 college football season. Fillinger was allegedly told that it was not longer an option to redshirt.
“Coach [Lewis Powell] came into rehab one day and he said, ‘Hey, Van, coach [Kyle] Whittingham is not going to let you redshirt,'” Fillinger told the Salt Lake Tribune. “I’m thinking, ‘What the? I’ve already been out three games.'”
When he asked what would happen if he did not comply with Whittingham’s demands, Fillinger was told he would be kicked off of the team. He did not think he had another choice but to play.
That was one of just six different accounts in total. Former Utes wide receiver Mycah Pittman said the medical team at Utah diagnosed him with an ankle sprain. However, the injury did not get better so he got an MRI. The MRI revealed a partially torn Achilles.
Another former player claims he repeatedly asked for an MRI for what he referred to as a “nagging” foot injury. He couldn’t run. It hurt to walk but nothing was being done about it.
The same player suffered a partially torn meniscus later in the season but was told it was just an IT band issue. He chose to enter the transfer portal and leave Utah but had to return because other schools had concerns about his injuries.
Other players echoed similar sentiments. They were either rushed back from an injury and/or felt pressure to play through an injury. Former tight end Miki Suguturaga said Utah “had rehab deadlines to meet for injuries” that were not realistic. Former defensive lineman Tevita Fotu said Whittingham wanted him to practice through a torn ACL.
Utah and Kyle Whittingham deny the allegations.
Batacao reached out to the University of Utah for comment. It told him exactly what you expect.
Utah Athletics and University of Utah Health said the health and well being of student-athletes is a “top priority.” Decisions on when and how an athlete should return to play are made through a collaborative process between physicians, athletic trainers and the student-athlete.
“The University of Utah Department of Athletics follows all University and national guidelines to ensure student success and safety. We routinely evaluate our processes and welcome the opportunity to make adjustments if we determine our policies are not meeting expectations.”
Kyle Whittingham took a similar approach. Rather, the University of Michigan took a similar approach on the first-year head coach’s behalf. It referred any questions about his treatment of injuries at Utah to Utah. It gave the following statement:
“Coach Whittingham or his coaching staff did not make medical decisions [at Utah]. He followed the lead of the medical team.”
Current Utes head coach Morgan Scalley also referred back to the University of Utah statement. Nobody was willing to talk.