Timpview head football coach Cary Whittingham resigns after having tremendous impact
Timpview head coach Cary Whittingham talks to players after losing to East in the 4A high school football finals on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015 at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald
Timpview head coach Cary Whittingham poses for a portrait at Timpview High School in Provo on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014. GRANT HINDSLEY, Daily Herald
Timpview head coach Cary Whittingham looks up the field before a play during a game between the Corner Canyon Chargers and the Timpview Thunderbirds on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 at Corner Canyon High School in Draper. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Timpview's head coach Cary Whittingham talks to a referee during a game between Timpview High School and East High School on Tuesday, August 17, 2017 at Timpview High School. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Timpview head coach Cary Whittingham calls out to his team during the 4A football quarterfinals between Timpview and Bountiful on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015 in Provo. SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald
Timpview quarterback Britain Covey hugs head coach Cary Whittingham following their victory over Roy in the 4A football state championship game at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday. Timpview won 28-7 to claim their third state title in a row. See more at http://bit.ly/1vYfveA
Timpview head football coach Cary Whittingham has accomplished great things on the gridiron in his six years guiding his Thunderbird teams:
- 63-14 overall record
- Three region championships
- Three state titles (2012, 2013, 2014)
- Dozens of players who played at the college and pro levels
But according to Timpview principal Dr. Fidel Montero, Whittingham’s biggest impact went far beyond what happened on gameday.
“His career is one of the most successful careers in the state of Utah as it relates to high school football,” Montero said in a phone interview on Friday. “He not only won on the field, but he had great relationships with kids and with parents. Our student-athletes really respected him and he helped a lot of student athletes prepare for the next level. His influence stands out as one of the best coaches in the state.”
Whittingham informed Timpview on Thursday that he had decided to resign as the head coach of the Thunderbirds, a decision he had been considering since the end of the season.
“As a coach, deciding when to stop is a hard thing,” Montero said. “I think he realized that for him and his family, he felt this was a good time for him to step aside. We have an exit interview at the end of each season and when we talked, he raised some questions about the future, citing that he’s been doing it for some time. He asked for some time to really assess that situation and where things were at. He came back this week and said he had decided with his family that it was time for him to step down.”
Montero said Whittingham was an excellent example of a coach who had the right priorities.
“What I have really appreciated has been his dedication to not just his top athletes, but to all of the student-athletes in the program,” Montero said. “As a principal, that’s one of the things you really love and appreciate from a coach — that he’s not only worried about winning, but is concerned with how students are doing outside of the sport. We’re going to miss him.”
Whittingham took over the head coaching position in 2012 during a tumultuous time when the school was dealing with financial issues regarding the football program.
“I think probably one of the most underappreciated contributions that he made to the school was taking over the program during a difficult transition and he was able to bring a lot of steadiness and consistency,” Montero said. “It’s difficult to compete with outside distraction and when you layer that with the other pressures of coaching, it was really quite a daunting task for him. He navigated that space really well, as well as anyone could have.”
Whittingham — who is the younger brother of Utah head football coach Kyle Whittingham — proceeded to maintain the high level of performance that had been the standard under previous head coaches Chad Van Orden and Louis Wong.
“With that sort of winning tradition, the expectations are going to be very high,” Montero said. “But on the flip side, the alumni and tradition will be a huge asset for the new coach. They are going to want to see him succeed.”
Now the school is beginning the process of finding a replacement — who will have big shoes to fill.
“We are excited to open up the position and see what type of interest we can attract,” Montero said. “I would hope that there is a lot of interest in the community. This is a great school with a great group of students and a lot to offer. We will see who rises to the top.”
Cary Whittingham attended Provo High School and played linebacker (and some running back) at BYU from 1981 and 1983-85. He has been a physical education teacher at Timpview for many years.
He has not at this point returned calls for comment.