Legendary College Football Coach Reveals Major 'Necessity' For Every Program

Despite being one of the oldest coaches in college football, Utah's Kyle Whittingham is not afraid to adapt to the ever-changing world.

We have seen him rely on the transfer portal to help build up his roster, with USC receiver transfer Dorian Singer headlining Utah's portal class heading into 2024. We have also seen Utah get more involved in the NIL space, which, as we all know, is a must in this modern era.

However, when speaking to the media on Monday, Whittingham revealed what he deemed to be a "necessity" for every team in college football, and it may be a role that has flown under the radar. Whittingham expressed that having a general manager in college football is something that he doesn't know how teams function without.

“It’s an absolute necessity now,” Kyle Whittingham said about the GM role per KSL. “In this day and age of college football, you not only need a General Manager but a Chief of Staff, which we hired a couple of weeks back. Fortunately, our administration has allowed us to bring in a General Manager and Chief of Staff. ”

While general managers have been discussed a bit over the past couple of years, it wasn't until Alabama's Courtney Morgan rejected a USC offer worth over $1 million that the reality really clicked for most in terms of how important they are.

For Utah, their general manager, Robert Blechen, has been a rockstar. He helped secure the program's highest-ranked recruiting class ever for the 2023 class, and also helped the program navigate the transfer portal despite not having a war chest of resources like other programs.

In 2024, Utah fans will have a chance to see what some consider to be the best roster they have had in recent memory contend for the Big 12 and College Football Playoff. Blechen's efforts to help assemble the roster could make him the unsung hero if all goes well.

They open their season on Thursday, August 29, against in-state foe Southern Utah.

Related: Kyle Whittingham Declares USC Transfer Dorian Singer is Utah's Undisputed Top Receiver