Who says it needs to be November to actually be thankful for something? In a way, on the Ute athletics calendar, it sort of is November when everything tapers down for awhile.
Here’s five things Utah fans have to be thankful for.
1. Be thankful that Jim Boylen is loyal.
Boylen didn’t tell media members his phone has been ringing off the hook with coaching offers to make everyone jealous. But after Urban Meyer left after two successful years, it had to be a question in the back of many fans’ minds. He’s staying to see the project through and my guess is we’ve only seen the very beginning of what’s in store for the Runnin’ Utes.
2. Be thankful the U is better than BYU.
The Cougars haven’t won an NCAA men’s basketball tournament game since 1993 and haven’t seen their women in the tournament since 2007. Their football team became the epitome of pompous asses this year when its “quest for perfection” fell three losses short. What makes it better is that BYU can’t seem to represent the conference in the Las Vegas Bowl, while Utah did so, and then some, for eight straight postseason games.
3. Be thankful Utah is on the map.
You’re not going to find a Utah helmet in a college football gumball machine8212;an honor that usually takes years and a few national championship game appearances to obtain8212;but with Utah returning to basketball prominence and the Utes now being the marquee football program in the Beehive State, the people who don’t respect Utah as an athletic institution after 2008 aren’t paying attention to college athletics. When the Bowl Championship Series is finally scrapped8212;and I have all the faith in the world that it will be8212;college football fans will have Utah to thank, first and foremost. It’s what everyone’s been waiting on for years, but it’s taken a team like Utah to take the bullet (not once, but twice) to reveal just how ridiculous and obviously monopolized and compromised the system has become.
4. Be thankful for Chris Hill.
He’s as savvy as a trial lawyer, but he’s also got the equivalent smarts. Every one of his head coaching hires in the past five years has been A+. Ray Giacoletti was a necessary evil to get us Boylen. Landing Kyle Whittingham has been like hitting the lottery. Tennis coach Mat Iandolo has proved to be a stud recruiter, as he has landed the likes of freshman Anastasia Putilina and soon-to-be freshman Paige Miles, who is a five-star recruit out of Juan Diego Catholic High School and a four-time Utah 3A state champion with a 72-0 record.
Last, but not least, is swimming coach Greg Winslow. Utah might not have had the success it experienced in the past, but like Runnin’ Utes’ Boylen, Winslow is building Utah swimming the right way. Utah has some of the best young talent in the conference in Whitney Lopus and Hannah Caron and trained for the season as though it was competing in the Olympics.
5. Be thankful someone is filling the Huntsman Center.
Utah gymnastics broke its own attendance record this year. This, in large part, has to do with the show and the accessibility that head coach Greg Marsden teaches his gymnasts. They are fan favorites because they have built a tradition that rivals any SEC football program. The Utah gymnastics team is proof that if you build it, they will come8212;even up here on the hill. Let’s hope one day people recognize that basketball has the same potential.
