SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah announced its football coaches for the upcoming season.
Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham announced new offensive and defensive coordinators, a new defensive assistant and four staff promotions at a team meeting Monday.
Dennis Erickson was promoted to assistant head coach, Aaron Roderick and Jim Harding were named co-offensive coordinators, John Pease returns to the Utah staff as the defensive coordinator and Justin Ena was hired to coach the linebackers.
Also receiving a new title was Morgan Scalley, who will serve as the special teams’ coordinator in addition to coaching the safeties.
The moves leave Utah with one assistant coach vacancy to be filled.
The University of Utah said in a news release to Fox 13:
“Erickson, in his third season with the Utes, will continue to coach the running backs in his new role as the assistant head coach. Roderick, a member of Whittingham’s staff since he took the reins back in 2005, is the co-offensive coordinator for the second time of his Utah career. Roderick also held the title in 2010. Harding enters his second season on the Utah staff and has previous experience as a co-offensive coordinator at Wyoming (2013). Roderick (quarterbacks) and Harding (offensive line) will retain their position coaching duties.
Pease comes out of retirement for his second time to become Utah’s defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. He first retired from coaching in 2005 after nearly two decades as an NFL assistant coach (1986-2005) and 15 years as a college assistant coach (1968-82). In 2009, he was lured out of retirement by Whittingham to coach the U. defensive line. After two seasons—during which time he coached current NFL starters Koa Misi and Sealver Siliga—he retired again. Pease, who played for Utah from 1963-64, is now in his fourth stint as a Utah assistant coach. He was a graduate assistant from 1968-69 and coached the linebackers in 1977.
Ena comes to Utah from Weber State, where he was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach last season. Before that, he spent six years at Southern Utah, the last four as the Thunderbird defensive coordinator. Under Ena, SUU finished second in the Big Sky in total defense and third in scoring defense in 2013. From 2008-09 he was SUU’s special teams coordinator. In 2009, the Thunderbirds led the nation in punting and finished ninth in punt return average.”
