Editor’s note: Second of a two-part conversation with Utah athletic director Mark Harlan.
Utah has made 29 appearances in the NCAA basketball tournament, including 16 Sweet 16 appearances, seven Elite Eight appearances, four Final Four appearances, and two national championship game appearances.
The program has a rich history of success, but is in an eight-year NCAA Tournament drought, and it doesn’t get any easier from here on out. Now in arguably the best basketball conference in America, head coach Craig Smith and the Runnin’ Utes started the 2024-25 season 8-6, losing their first three Big 12 games and going 0-6 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 opportunities.
“I have been disappointed, as I know Craig is, that these Quad 1 and Quad 2 opportunities that we’ve been facing, we have not been able to get victories,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in an exclusive interview with the Deseret News earlier this week. “And as I said, that’s been disappointing. And as I thought Craig said very well after the game here on Saturday, all you can do is grind and fight through it.”
By virtue of being in the Big 12, the Utes will have plenty more opportunities (seven current Quad 1 games are upcoming), but will need to improve in a hurry.
Smith, who came to Utah after leading Utah State to two NCAA Tournament appearances (the 2020 tournament, which was canceled, would have marked three appearances) is now in his fourth season of a six-year contract without taking a team to the Big Dance.
“We knew coming into the Big 12 as we analyzed the whole conference that men’s basketball was going to be a heavy lift. And certainly we’ve seen that playing Baylor on the road,” Harlan said. “We have Iowa State as we sit here tonight and we will have more Quad 1 opportunities, we’ll have more big game opportunities to get wins.
“So where I’m at with the basketball program is leaning in along with my other senior staffers that surround the basketball program, providing them all the support we can as we get into the real lift of the Big 12 season and certainly hope to see more success.”
Utah added Mike Sharavjamts, Mason Madsen, Zach Keller, Keanu Dawes, Ezra Ausa and Miro Little from the transfer portal, along with Caleb Lohner from the Ute football team, in building a completely new-look team. The Utes lost three key players in the transfer portal, as Deivon Smith went to St. John’s, Keba Keita to BYU and Rollie Worster to Nebraska.
Of course, NIL money is one of the biggest factors for transfer portal success. How does Harlan feel that the Runnin Utes’ NIL situation stacks up in the Big 12 when it comes to the basketball program?
“I felt like as I’ve done my data research and shared with colleagues …, I feel like our NIL for basketball is very healthy. It was a dramatic increase this year. That’s why we saw talented student-athletes come to the University of Utah along with their desire to play here,” Harlan said. “So I’m pleased, but we know there’s never enough. But you also have to be able to say, ‘OK, this is enough to field a very competitive roster,’ and I think that’s exactly what we have in our men’s basketball program.”
The House settlement will also provide the program with additional money to be distributed to the basketball program next season.
While the curtains that sectioned off the upper bowl were lifted ahead of the 2023-24 season and attendance in the 15,000-seat arena increased to an average of 7,903 fans amid a 17-2 home record, attendance still lags behind both football (which has a home sellout streak dating back to 2010) and gymnastics.
As the program moves into the Big 12, what can be done to get more fans out to the Huntsman Center?
“Winning helps. Winning helps. I’m not trying to put pressure on the basketball program, but people want to see winning basketball. And that’s why we’re leaning in to support the student-athletes and to support the coaching staff to make sure they’re at the very best possible place,” Harlan said.
“We have the best practice facility in America, and I don’t believe it’s close. We have incredible history here. Students want to play in the Big 12. … There is not a question, historically, this has been the best basketball conference in the last five to six years. And again, I don’t even think there’s an argument that would suggest otherwise.”
Harlan admitted there’s challenges in regards to parking at the Huntsman Center as university construction continues to boom (the school added a shuttle service for fans), and the athletic department continues to look for ways to boost attendance, but he believes the Huntsman Center is still an “incredible” place to watch a basketball game.
Other highlights from the Deseret News’ conversation with Mark Harlan
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
On head-coach-in-waiting Morgan Scalley, how he’s been through the process of Whittingham returning, and why Scalley is the right choice to take over when Whittingham retires:
“Well, Coach Scalley and of course coach Whittingham have been together for years. Player-coach relationship and obviously Morgan working for Kyle for all these years. So they have their conversations about a lot of different things and so what was important to know and Morgan’s always understood that he’s the coach in waiting and when that time comes, he’ll be that person.
“So he’s excited to get ready for the ‘25 season and we’re excited to have him. As I’ve said previously, Morgan has all the skill sets you look for in a head coach, incredible care for student-athletes, incredible strategy on how to build the very best possible defense. And every year being around him and staying close with him, it’s more validating to see the work. So when that time comes, he’ll be ready.”
On Utah’s Big 12 membership:
“This is a big deal to change conferences. There’s a lot of emotions that go into it. There’s a lot of work and effort by so many. … We got after it.
“We didn’t win every game we wanted, but our overall assimilation into this league has been great. To be associated with these new universities has been really fun for all of us. And to get to know new faces, new places. Talking to folks that were at the Iowa State trip for women’s basketball the other day, I mean the environment there, they came back and just said it was amazing. I mean, that’s really a tribute to Iowa State. But also we see that a lot as we’ve gone on the road so far. So we’re excited about what the future is in the Big 12.”
On plans to improve the fan experience at Rice-Eccles Stadium:
“Rice-Eccles Stadium is a fantastic place to watch a football game. The sellouts that we’ve had for double-digit years now is something that is the envy of many across the country, but we also understand that it’s our obligation to continue to look under every possible rock, so to speak, to improve the experience.
“And certainly we’ve had certain fan improvements over the years, whether that’s the expansion, which allowed for the 360-degree concourse that didn’t just aid the seating in the south, but also the movement. We constantly work with our friends at auxiliary services who oversee the stadium on their concessions experience. I think the addition of the Utah 360 app this last year and providing Wi-Fi was a gigantic step forward for anyone attending games.
“Wi-Fi, obviously being able to follow the stats but also being able to order food through the Utah 360 app and be able to pick it up right at the concessions. These are the things that we’ve been working on, we continue to work on knowing that that work is never done. We survey our fan base, we want to listen, we want to learn, and certainly our team has been working on that.”
On the job that Gavin Petersen has done, who took over midseason for Lynne Roberts, who left to coach the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks:
“Yeah, it’s been fantastic and I knew he would be. Being around Gavin for all these years, kind of what I talked about with Morgan Scalley, I’ve been around him for many years. The same is true with Gavin. You just know he’s ready.
“I don’t think we thought his moment would come as fast when Lynne got the amazing opportunity to go be the head coach at the Sparks. But I knew, and Charmelle Green, who is our chief operating officer, oversees basketball, she knew as well. And to watch the girls react to his leadership, the way he’s putting his own fingerprints on the program has been really fun … and to watch the girls fight the way they’re doing has been really exciting.”
On what accomplishments he’s proud of from 2024:
“I think for me it really starts by being notified that we achieved a 95% graduation rate, which is the highest in school history for the athletes that have matriculated in the University of Utah over these last five or six years. I mean, at the end of the day, these are students. They’re here pursuing their dreams to compete, but also be highly educated at an amazing institution.
“And to know that many have benefited and have leaned into that being a key priority in their lives is a moment not only for myself, but anybody that works here. Whether you’re a coach, whether you’re a staffer and whatever you might do, you’re surrounded by these young people that are here for the right reasons. Extremely happy about that.
“Very excited about our donor base, what they’ve done for us over these last few years. When I mentioned earlier at an all-time high in terms of donor numbers, but also in what we’ve been able to raise.
“Very excited about breaking ground on our baseball stadium. To finally have a home that is on campus for our baseball team is a moment that for years has been contemplated here. And to finally get that done through the great support of so many, just being around some baseball players the other day, their excitement for it and the fact that we were able to work with the city and we appreciate their partnership to still have this last year to play at Smith’s Ballpark before we move on campus.
“Obviously the success of our volleyball team, getting back into the (NCAA) tournament in Beth’s 35th year as the head coach and being able to host has been magnificent.
“Our cross-country team had an all-time ranking this year, was really excited about what they were able to accomplish.
“And I think as we look at the pillars here, which are classroom success, talked about competition success. But in the community, I mean, we had over 1,500 hours of student-athletes serving in various different roles within this community. That’s something that you don’t force them to do. It’s something that they want to do. We know being a student-athlete here is a privilege that they’ve earned, but we owe it to the community to be heavily involved. And to see that as I reviewed some numbers was very gratifying too.”
