Photo by: Anna Fuder/Utah Athletics
10/21/2026 1:00 PM | Football
Annual award presented to a head coach for contributions on and off the field
HOUSTON — Utah Football head coach Morgan Scalley has been named to the 2026 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list, announced on Wednesday by the American Heart Association.
Presented each January, the award is given to a college football coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field.
Scalley is one of 28 coaches named to this year's watch list, with five at the helm of Big 12 Conference programs.
A Salt Lake City native and Utah Man through and through, Scalley is in his first full season as head coach and 19th year overall on the coaching staff. He was named head coach prior to the 2025 Las Vegas Bowl—a victory for the Utes over Nebraska—and has guided the team to a 6-0 start in 2026. Scalley is the first Utah head coach to win their first seven games and first to start their first full season with a 6-0 record.
Under Scalley's leadership, culture has been a focal point of the program—with the "R.S.N.B." identity (relentless, smart, nasty ballhawks) long connected to the Utah defense now serving as a guide for the entire team. Utah is one of six remaining undefeated teams and one of just two Power Conference programs to rank in the FBS top 11 both in scoring offense (8th) and scoring defense (11th).
Utah debuted a reimagined offense this season that has averaged 486.5 yards per game to date, placing ninth best in the country. The defense has held opponents to the third-lowest passing efficiency in the nation while allowing just 88.7 rushing yards per game—12th-best across FBS.
Prior to being named head coach, Scalley served as defensive coordinator for 10 seasons (2016-25) and coached the safeties from 2008-25. He previously was Utah's recruiting coordinator from 2009-15 and special teams coordinator in 2015 as well. During those 18 seasons as an assistant coach, he developed 33 Utah Utes into NFL talent while his players earned 14 All-American awards (four consensus or unanimous), 21 All-Conference First Team selections and five Freshman All-Americans. In 2019 he was a finalist for the Broyles Award, an annual honor presented to college football's most outstanding assistant coach.
The former Ute All-America safety began his coaching career as an administrative assistant with the Utes in 2006, moving into a graduate assistant role in 2007.
He played scholastically at Highland High School, just 3.3 miles from Rice-Eccles Stadium. Scalley then lettered with the Utes from 2001-04 as a safety and returner. As a senior in 2004, he captained Utah to a 12-0 record, a Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh and a No. 4 national ranking in a historic season in which Utah became the first non-BCS team to play in a BCS bowl game.
Scalley was a two-time first-team Academic All-American (2003-04), the 2004 Anson Mount Scholar Athlete of the Year and the 2004 Mountain West Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was awarded two post-graduate scholarships, including one from the NCAA.
Scalley was presented with the inaugural Pat Tillman award during the 2005 East-West Shrine Game, recognizing him for his character, intelligence, sportsmanship and service.
After graduating Magna Cum Laude from the U with a 3.96 GPA, Scalley earned a master's degree in business.
UP NEXT
No. 10-ranked Utah is back home at Rice-Eccles Stadium for a matchup with No. 14 Houston on Saturday, Oct. 24. It'll be an 8:15 p.m. MT kickoff on ESPN, with the wildly popular College GameDay show also visiting campus. The show will be live from 7-10 a.m. on President's Circle in the center of campus. It's the second straight season College GameDay has visited the U, third time in the last four seasons and seventh time overall.
FOLLOW THE UTES
Follow the Utes on social media through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com. Download the Utah 360 app here.
Presented each January, the award is given to a college football coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field.
Scalley is one of 28 coaches named to this year's watch list, with five at the helm of Big 12 Conference programs.
A Salt Lake City native and Utah Man through and through, Scalley is in his first full season as head coach and 19th year overall on the coaching staff. He was named head coach prior to the 2025 Las Vegas Bowl—a victory for the Utes over Nebraska—and has guided the team to a 6-0 start in 2026. Scalley is the first Utah head coach to win their first seven games and first to start their first full season with a 6-0 record.
Under Scalley's leadership, culture has been a focal point of the program—with the "R.S.N.B." identity (relentless, smart, nasty ballhawks) long connected to the Utah defense now serving as a guide for the entire team. Utah is one of six remaining undefeated teams and one of just two Power Conference programs to rank in the FBS top 11 both in scoring offense (8th) and scoring defense (11th).
Utah debuted a reimagined offense this season that has averaged 486.5 yards per game to date, placing ninth best in the country. The defense has held opponents to the third-lowest passing efficiency in the nation while allowing just 88.7 rushing yards per game—12th-best across FBS.
Prior to being named head coach, Scalley served as defensive coordinator for 10 seasons (2016-25) and coached the safeties from 2008-25. He previously was Utah's recruiting coordinator from 2009-15 and special teams coordinator in 2015 as well. During those 18 seasons as an assistant coach, he developed 33 Utah Utes into NFL talent while his players earned 14 All-American awards (four consensus or unanimous), 21 All-Conference First Team selections and five Freshman All-Americans. In 2019 he was a finalist for the Broyles Award, an annual honor presented to college football's most outstanding assistant coach.
The former Ute All-America safety began his coaching career as an administrative assistant with the Utes in 2006, moving into a graduate assistant role in 2007.
He played scholastically at Highland High School, just 3.3 miles from Rice-Eccles Stadium. Scalley then lettered with the Utes from 2001-04 as a safety and returner. As a senior in 2004, he captained Utah to a 12-0 record, a Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh and a No. 4 national ranking in a historic season in which Utah became the first non-BCS team to play in a BCS bowl game.
Scalley was a two-time first-team Academic All-American (2003-04), the 2004 Anson Mount Scholar Athlete of the Year and the 2004 Mountain West Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was awarded two post-graduate scholarships, including one from the NCAA.
Scalley was presented with the inaugural Pat Tillman award during the 2005 East-West Shrine Game, recognizing him for his character, intelligence, sportsmanship and service.
After graduating Magna Cum Laude from the U with a 3.96 GPA, Scalley earned a master's degree in business.
UP NEXT
No. 10-ranked Utah is back home at Rice-Eccles Stadium for a matchup with No. 14 Houston on Saturday, Oct. 24. It'll be an 8:15 p.m. MT kickoff on ESPN, with the wildly popular College GameDay show also visiting campus. The show will be live from 7-10 a.m. on President's Circle in the center of campus. It's the second straight season College GameDay has visited the U, third time in the last four seasons and seventh time overall.
FOLLOW THE UTES
Follow the Utes on social media through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com. Download the Utah 360 app here.
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