Utah did win the PAC12 conference a couple of times. Yeah - they then lost the Rose Bowl.
But I'd qualify a conference championship season as better than "knocking on the door of a good season." If you win the conference championship - it was at least a good season.
I'm not sure what his beef was with Bronco - I know how it grew over time with them taking shots at each other. But I don't know how it started when KW turned down BYU, Bronco took the job, and then KW started acting like BYU had overlooked him and picked Bronco over him - seeming to put down BYU/Bronco at any opportunity he had. It was weird. And unnecessary.