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Utah Football Coach Will Not Compliment BYU QB Due To Refusal To Acknowledge Friendly Rival

#Utah Utes
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Kyle Whittingham, Utah Utes

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Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham still refuses to acknowledge rival BYU. As a result, he would not say anything nice about Cougars starting quarterback Bear Bachmeier.

The longtime Utes leader continued his stance on the “in-state game” with the 2025 Holy War quickly approaching. It offered a stark contrast to his rivalry counterpart.

Whittingham’s ties to the rivalry game are noted. He played at BYU but has been disassociated from the university since the mid-1980s. He was hired on by Utah in 1994, serving as defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach in 2005.

Now, he’s one of college football’s longest-tenured coaches. He’s won 66% of his games in Salt Lake City. He’s dropped his previous allegiance to become the villain.

Kyle Whittingham won’t acknowledge BYU.

The coach refuses to call his alma mater by name. He often skirts questions about his rival when speaking to the media.

That was true earlier this year when he sidestepped the topic of BYU’s Honor Code and its impact on Utah recruiting.

“You’d have to ask those guys. I’ve been removed from that for so long, I couldn’t say one way or the other. I really don’t want to comment on that.”

-Kyle Whittingham at Big 12 Media Days

The stance dates back some time. In 2021, he evaded a question on the Holy War prior to conference realignment.

“Oh, the in-state game… The dynamic has changed so much because we are no longer in the same conference. We were in the same conference forever, so it’s changed.

“Yeah, let’s skip to the next question. I don’t know how to address it, which way to go with it.”

-Kyle Whittingham

At the time, Utah was a PAC 12 football member. BYU was an independent. Now, the two have been reunited in the Big 12. The rivalry means even more as it has annual conference championship implications.

Still, Kyle Whittingham remains firm on his stance.

Utah’s football coach would not compliment Bear Bachmeier.

A number of notable college football rivalries have quirks similar to the Holy War. Ohio State fans, for example, often refer to Michigan as “That Team Up North,” refusing to call the Wolverines by name.

Whittingham’s bitterness seems to go a step further.

Not only will he not acknowledge BYU, but he won’t comment on its key players on game week.

He was asked about the Cougars’ starting quarterback Bear Bachmeier. He politely declined.

This is something unique to the Holy War. Whittingham was much more open about preparing for Arizona State last week.

“Their quarterback is dangerous, especially when he runs the football,” the coach said. “He’s done so much damage to teams this year, making big plays with his legs, and it’s something we have to keep in check.”

Whittingham’s refusal offered a stark contrast to the response from BYU coach Kalani Sitake, who was nothing but complimentary of the Utes.

Kyle Whittingham has not said anything nice about his extremely friendly rival for years. That didn’t change in 2025. He’ll look to end a two-game skid to the Cougars on Saturday.