The Next BYU Football Coach: Analyzing Risk, Reward in Candidates

October 24, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham watches game action against the Southern California Trojans during the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Whittingham perhaps holds the greatest reward of all candidates, but I think he could be the most likely to turn out to be a bust. BYU could win 10+ games next year under Whittingham, but they could also win only a small handful.

Kyle Whittingham would be a risk, considering he would likely need to be paid more than any other coaching candidate. It’s also obvious that since he came from the University of Utah, BYU’s chief rival, that there’s no guarantee everything would go smooth sailing. Would the players be able to come to terms with having him as their new head coach? Would he have the right vision for the program, and would he end up enjoying it here?

Whittingham would certainly help with recruiting, as he might be able to get some top players to move over. If U of U players do transfer, that could create additional risks, however, with regards to team chemistry. The coach is friends with Tom Holmoe, so that aspect of program chemistry could be solid, as compared to what went on earlier in the year at Utah.

Overall, Kyle Whittingham is probably the best coach among the candidates, but that doesn’t exactly mean he’d be the best overall choice for BYU specifically. Getting him as the next BYU Football coach would likely bring too many risks than players and fans would be comfortable with, but that doesn’t mean he can’t resolve them if he does make the jump.

Next: Steve Young