In this exchange, I've focused on comparing the two coach's track records. I do place far more weight on head to head matchups than you (or Sagarin, apparently) and ability to produce the marquee year. Whitt was more susceptible to the wty type of loss in the MWC than Bronco during their time there together. Given what Kyle did accomplish, I could live with those games. Lord knows Mendenhall has had them without accomplishing a similar upside.
There's at least a point to be made in calling Bronco mediocre and Whittingham similar and saying you don't want either, as in your last post. I don't equate them, and this year, neither does the top 25, but there's an argument there.
As for me, I'll take Whitt and his upside with open arms, given what I'd esteem the candidate pool at BYU to be and the product I've seen Utah put in the field during his tenure.