{"id":766935,"date":"2026-02-21T14:11:49","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T14:11:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/766935\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T14:11:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T14:11:49","slug":"new-utah-oc-kevin-mcgiven-on-his-offensive-philosophy-and-more-deseret-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/766935\/","title":{"rendered":"New Utah OC Kevin McGiven on his offensive philosophy and more \u2013 Deseret News"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was first published in the Ute Insiders newslett<\/a>er<\/a>. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

If it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it. <\/p>\n

That\u2019s the attitude that new Utah offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven<\/a> is bringing into his first year on the job in Salt Lake City. <\/p>\n

Last season, OC Jason Beck helped reverse the Utes\u2019 offensive fortunes, guiding the team to 41.2 points per game (No. 5 in the nation) and 266.3 rushing yards per game (No. 2 in the nation). <\/p>\n

His run-heavy approach resulted in school records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and paired with quarterback Devon Dampier<\/a>, Utah\u2019s offense found success in an 11-2 season.<\/p>\n

After longtime coach Kyle Whittingham stepped down<\/a>, then eventually took the Michigan job, Beck had a choice to make \u2014 stay at Utah with new head coach Morgan Scalley or follow his current boss to Ann Arbor. Beck did the latter, which meant Scalley had to hire a new OC in his first year.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou keep names throughout your journey. Well, being a head-coach-in-waiting, there\u2019s a lot of people that will reach out to you because they think any year\u2019s the next year. And every year (McGiven\u2019s) name comes up,\u201d Scalley said at a January press conference<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As he went through the interview process with McGiven, Scalley liked what he saw from his offenses.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe creates issues at levels in football. \u2026 He\u2019s really good at what he does. He\u2019s efficient at what he does and he\u2019s done it at a level that hasn\u2019t necessarily had the resources that we have. So get ready for Kevin,\u201d Scalley said.<\/p>\n

The 48-year-old McGiven has already amassed a lengthy r\u00e9sum\u00e9, including 17 seasons as an offensive coordinator. He\u2019s called the offense at Oregon State, San Jose State and had two stints at Utah State, including last season. <\/p>\n

Under McGiven\u2019s leadership in 2025, the Aggies scored 30.9 points per game (No. 36 in the country) and averaged 409.5 yards per game (No. 39 in the country), and that\u2019s with an offensive line that didn\u2019t play up to par most of the season.<\/p>\n

He was able to get the most out of former Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes<\/a>, helping unlock his rushing ability to the tune of 740 yards and 10 scores in 2025. Barnes also threw for 2,803 yards and 18 touchdowns with five interceptions on 59.3% accuracy and was named to the All-Mountain West second team.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe bought into the system and then we were able to do some things to try to capitalize on his skill set,\u201d McGiven said. \u201cI think with the quarterback run game, with the RPOs and try to isolate it to some things that he did well. We were able to develop his pass game a little bit into getting him into a little bit more progression-based pass game and he was able to thrive at times in that.\u201d <\/p>\n

Flexible system<\/p>\n

Like Beck, McGiven employs a flexible offensive system that can adapt to the strength of each team. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always wanted a system that has that type of versatility to be able to cater it to the personnel group, to the personnel that you have,\u201d McGiven said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI would say multiple, first and foremost, just in trying to change up the looks and again, just in an attempt to create as much conflict for the defense as possible, reducing and expanding with your formations, shifting in motion and just different layers any way you can to attack a defense and trying to be able to dictate a game that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last season, McGiven\u2019s offense leaned into Barnes\u2019 rushing ability and decision-making in the RPO. He can utilize a similar scheme with Dampier, who rushed for 835 yards and 10 touchdowns and threw for 2,490 yards and 24 scores in Beck\u2019s RPO offense. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the beauty is you pull that film up and go, \u2018Look boys, doesn\u2019t that look similar?\u2019\u201d Scalley said.<\/p>\n

McGiven is his own man, with his own offensive ideas, but in following the one-year stint by Beck at Utah, he also wants to build off of the success that the Utes had last season.<\/p>\n

\"\"New Utah offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven acknowledges the Huntsman Center crowd during a Runnin’ Utes game this season. | Utah Athletics <\/p>\n

\u201cTo me as a coordinator, you are not coming in necessarily trying to rebuild something that was broken because it wasn\u2019t broken,\u201d McGiven said. \u201cIt\u2019s an offense that averaged 40 points a game and moved the ball up and down the field and they were able to capitalize on the strengths of the quarterback, which is what I want to do first and foremost.\u201d <\/p>\n

Since he arrived at Utah, McGiven has been learning from his players about the verbiage of Beck\u2019s offense and trying to incorporate that to make the transition easier.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a verbiage standpoint, if there\u2019s terms that you can adapt to because they already know it as something with the way different concepts are named to me, that speeds up their learning progression systematically,\u201d McGiven said.<\/p>\n

What he likes from the film<\/p>\n

Watching film from last season, McGiven liked the misdirection that Utah used on offense and the way they used the quarterback run game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought they did a very good job using obviously the quarterback skill set with the quarterback run game, but the misdirection that came off of it, there were a lot of things that were complementary going on with the misdirection, the fly sweep, the potential for play action,\u201d McGiven said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere were a lot of different elements with plays and presentations of plays that, where it could have gone to the quarterback, could have gone to the running back, could have gone to a sweeper, or it could have been play action off of it. And so all of those elements create that conflict, that level of difficulty for the defense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those elements, which make things tough for the defense, are ones that McGiven likes to use in his offenses, so Ute fans will be seeing some familiar concepts on Saturdays this fall.<\/p>\n

Tailor-made<\/p>\n

At the core of McGiven\u2019s offensive philosophy is his ability to tailor each offense to each team each year \u2014 a must in an age where 50% of a college football roster is overhauled every offseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I think it boiled down to is just (Scalley) going back and looking at the body of work over the years and trying to bring someone in that he felt like was creative and could get best usage out of the personnel and could adapt that,\u201d McGiven said. \u201cI think those are important attributes in the world we\u2019re living in with roster turnover being what it is with NIL, transfer portal and things like that. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou can adapt to your personnel and be creative with what you have and then you\u2019re doing different things to try to cause defensive conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n

As such, McGiven hasn\u2019t zeroed in on exactly how much his offense will feature specific position groups like tight ends. Those decisions will happen in the upcoming months as Utah goes through spring and fall practices and McGiven targets who the talented players are. <\/p>\n

\"\"Utah State receiver Braden Pegan fights for yardage during game against San Jose State Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Logan. Pegan, the Aggies’ leading receiver in 2025, followed his Aggie OC Kevin McGiven from Logan to the University of Utah. | Eli Lucero\/Herald Journal <\/p>\n

At San Jose State, where he had now-Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver, McGiven built a lot of the offense around the tight ends. At Utah State, it was receiver Braden Pegan \u2014 now at Utah<\/a> \u2014 and running back Javen Jacobs being featured in the pass game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just kind of what you feel like you want to feature and who you feel like your best personnel groups are,\u201d McGiven said.<\/p>\n

Run game<\/p>\n

One thing you can count on from McGiven\u2019s offense at Utah is that it will continue to feature the run game, both through Dampier and running backs like Wayshawn Parker, who rushed for 981 yards and six touchdowns despite splitting carries with NaQuari Rogers in the first half of the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to lean heavily on the run game. We feel like we have, between the backs and the quarterback, the style of football that we want to play, the complementary nature of the run game in terms of what we want to do, what we want to look like as a program,\u201d McGiven said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, that\u2019s Utah football and Morgan Scalley doesn\u2019t want it any other way. We want to be physical. We want that to be kind of our MO and play complementary football to the defense in terms of being able to stay on the field and extend drives and control the game that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Utah steps into a new era for the first time since 2005, both Scalley and McGiven are going to put their stamp on things, but they are also going to build on the foundation of what\u2019s worked in the past.<\/p>\n

The hope? An offense that is just as productive as last season.<\/p>\n

Utah retained key pieces like Dampier, Parker and backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin<\/a>, among others, and filled gaps in the transfer portal.<\/p>\n

The three key questions: What will Utah\u2019s rebuilt offensive line look like, will the passing game be improved from last year, and who will emerge as pass catchers?<\/p>\n

McGiven is hard at work answering those, and more, as he prepares for his first season at Utah.<\/p>\n

More from our conversation with McGiven <\/p>\n

Portions of this interview have been edited for clarity and length.<\/p>\n

On his pitch to retain key players Dampier and Ficklin<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t always know with those guys, what they have going on elsewhere or behind the scenes. You don\u2019t really hear those kind of things in terms of offers that they were getting or anything like that. But from a retention standpoint, it was you just kind of try to explain to them and the experience and the body of work and coaching like players and the way you\u2019ve developed guys at their position, what they\u2019ve been able to accomplish. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou try to show them those things and then sitting down with them, showing them what it looks like from a schematic and philosophical standpoint; try to get them excited about some of the things that they\u2019re going to be doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re both really cerebral kids, they\u2019re really outgoing, but they\u2019re both football junkies. I mean, they\u2019re studying all the time. They want to get better, and so I really think the challenge to them of even further developing their game to where hopefully with the experience they\u2019ve already accumulated and then being able to do some similar things, build upon that and then doing some different things that may help in their development and aid in their progress toward helping us win first and foremost, but then getting to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n

On what excites him about working with Dampier<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really fun just to have football conversations with him. He sees the field, he\u2019s got a high football IQ and so they\u2019ve already done a great job with his knowledge base and so you can have higher-level football conversations with him that maybe you couldn\u2019t have with a really, really young player that was just starting out.<\/p>\n

\"\"Utah quarterback Devon Dampier runs the ball during game against Kansas, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Lawrence, Kan. | AP <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think because of that you\u2019re able to maybe put a little bit more on his plate, not to the point where you want to cloud his process or confuse his process, but I think the possibilities with them are endless, not only building upon what he\u2019s done, but also some things that we can do to develop him that he\u2019s really buying into and that we can do schematically to take his game to another level. So all this is what really excited me about the opportunity to work with him, plus just what he gives you as a competitor and as a leader, it takes pressure off you when you have a built-in leader and someone that\u2019s as competitive as he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

On how he could use Ficklin in his offense<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a really good athlete. Obviously people were able to see that last year. He\u2019s someone that needs to be able to use his skill set to impact games. He does have a multiple skill set that you can utilize in some different ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think some of those things yet to be seen in terms of a pitch count or a snap count that he\u2019s involved in, but definitely needs to be impacting the game, I think more so than even last year, whether that\u2019s having two quarterbacks on the field at the same time or him getting in there on a rotational basis, and then even his ability to give some different presentations in terms of where he lines up and being able to capitalize on his skill set that way. I think all those are things that were in the preliminary stages of looking at, but it\u2019s neat to have an athlete to be able to do that with.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Utah\u2019s wide receiver room, and its many new faces<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what I\u2019ve seen just in workouts, I think there\u2019s some good potential there. I think there\u2019s some depth in that room. There\u2019s going to be some competition in spring ball. There\u2019s some guys, there\u2019s some size, there\u2019s some good speed, some guys that can play some different roles and do some different things. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so I think Devon\u2019s going to have a really good supporting cast on the perimeter, and I think a big part of it will just be starting to gain some chemistry with those guys and some trust. And so that\u2019ll be developed as we go, but I really like some of the options that we\u2019re going to have out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Utah State transfer receiver Braden Pegan<\/p>\n

\u201cI think a big part of his success was kind of like I talked about, I think it was that chemistry that he had with Bryson. They worked a lot together in the offseason, and so they were able to develop that where he became a little bit of a security blanket. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe were able to, based on his learning curve, we were able to move him around a little bit where he could play on the left or the right, he could play inside or outside with the intent to get him targeted a little bit more often, make him a primary receiver. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so I think he was able to capitalize on that and benefit from that. And then just a big target that can run and can transition really well for his size. And so he\u2019s got a unique skill set for his size that we plan on using to the fullest extent.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Wayshawn Parker and the run game<\/p>\n

\u201cWayshawn to me brings a bell cow, a kid that rushed for almost a thousand yards, is someone that you can really lean on, is someone that can take extended carries. And I think he\u2019s even capable physically of getting more carries than what he got last year. That level was distributed pretty heavily, mostly between him and Devon. <\/p>\n

\"\"Utah running back Wayshawn Parker, center, is tackled by Kansas safety Lyrik Rawls, left, and defensive back Austin Alexander, right, during game Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Lawrence, Kan. | AP <\/p>\n

\u201cBut being able to have a feature back in the system where, like I said, last year a little bit more by committee at the running back position.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Jordan Gross and Utah\u2019s offensive line<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Jordan\u2019s incredible, really, really good to work with in terms of he\u2019s embracing everything that we want to do. Schematically with that group, he\u2019s really pouring into those guys. And I think at this point, obviously we\u2019re in the early stages of it and haven\u2019t been through spring ball yet, but he\u2019s investing a lot in those guys and they\u2019re, from what I can see, really, really buying into him.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s really a technician, not just a student of the game, but a technician. You can tell that he has experience in it, may not be coaching it (at college level), but he has experience in it at a very, very high level, and he\u2019s able to lean on that. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat already kind of gives him that street cred. But he\u2019s been fabulous to work with up to this point. And I think as soon as he gets a little bit more well-versed in the scheme application to defense, he\u2019s a superstar in the making, there\u2019s no doubt about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the quarterback run game<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s different ways to go about it. I think from a first-level read standpoint, because I think a big key is that you\u2019re getting different guys involved, that the ball\u2019s being distributed, that you\u2019re attacking the defense appropriately, not necessarily trying to force-feed a run game. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhere there\u2019s a run-game element or a quarterback run-game element, but where there\u2019s a lot of different possibilities coming off of that, whether it\u2019s a first-level read to run, whether it\u2019s RPO, whether it\u2019s misdirection with quarterback run, all those things are done from, at least from a schematic or a philosophical standpoint, to try to get plus-one in the run game. And if you have a quarterback that can do it, then I think you always want to capitalize off their feet and having that threat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Utah quarterback Devon Dampier (4) and Utah quarterback Byrd Ficklin (15) look on during warmups before an NCAA football game against the Kansas State Wildcats held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News In case you missed it<\/p>\n

A banner honoring Elaine Elliott now hangs in the Huntsman Center rafters. This is what it means to her.<\/a><\/p>\n

From the archivesExtra points<\/p>\n

The season isn\u2019t over, but decisions on Utah\u2019s roster for next year loom large with offseason approaching<\/a><\/p>\n

Red Rocks top BYU with their best score of the season, Avery Neff gets a 10.0<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how much Utah football season tickets will cost in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article was first published in the Ute Insiders newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":766936,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[7,49,48,3309],"class_list":{"0":"post-766935","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-ncaa","10":"tag-ncaa-football","11":"tag-news-feed-local"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116109034251290376","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/766935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=766935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/766935\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/766936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=766935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=766935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=766935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}