Kalani Sitake isn’t going anywhere. Despite serious interest from Penn State and a whirlwind few days that even saw Crumbl Cookies' CEO reportedly get involved, the 50-year-old head coach is staying at BYU. The Cougars are working on a significant new contract to keep him in Provo, and according to multiple reports, Sitake has made his decision: he’s sticking with his alma mater.
And it’s hard to blame him. Sitake is in the middle of his best season yet at BYU, with the Cougars sitting at 11-1 overall and 8-1 in Big 12 play.
They’re preparing for their first-ever Big 12 Championship appearance, where they’ll face Texas Tech - the only team to beat them this year. It’s a full-circle moment for a coach who once wore the BYU uniform as a fullback and now has the program on the doorstep of a conference title.
This was more than just a career move. For Sitake, it had to be personal.
Penn State, with its national profile and deep football tradition, came calling with a tempting opportunity. But BYU is home.
Sitake played for the Cougars in the mid-to-late ‘90s under the legendary LaVell Edwards, and now he’s building a legacy of his own on the same sideline.
Penn State, meanwhile, will have to look elsewhere. The Nittany Lions have been searching for a new head coach since firing James Franklin back in October. As other major programs like Florida, LSU, Auburn, Michigan State, and Arkansas have filled their vacancies, Penn State’s top job remains open - and Sitake, one of the most intriguing names on the board, is now officially off it.
Sitake’s coaching journey has been a steady climb. He got his start in 2001 at Eastern Arizona coaching defensive backs, then returned to BYU as a graduate assistant in 2002.
From there, he spent two years at Southern Utah before joining Utah’s staff in 2005, where he rose through the ranks from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator and eventually assistant head coach. After a brief stint at Oregon State in 2015 as DC and assistant head coach, Sitake came back to Provo to take over the BYU program in December of that year.
His early years as head coach were a bit of a rollercoaster. A 9-4 debut season in 2016 was followed by a rough 4-9 campaign in 2017.
But Sitake kept building. The Cougars went 7-6 in both 2018 and 2019, then broke through during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
With Zach Wilson under center, BYU went 11-1, won the Boca Raton Bowl, and finished No. 11 in the country.
The momentum continued in 2021 with a 10-3 finish and another Top 25 ranking. But the transition to the Big 12 brought growing pains.
BYU went 8-5 in 2022 and then slipped to 5-7 in 2023 - their first year as a full Big 12 member. Still, Sitake didn’t panic.
He retooled, refocused, and got the Cougars back on track.
In 2024, BYU bounced back with an 11-2 record, a win in the Alamo Bowl, and a Top 15 finish. Now, in 2025, they’re 11-1, ranked No. 11, and playing for a Big 12 title.
Sitake’s overall record at BYU now stands at 83-44, including a 17-10 mark in Big 12 play. Over the past two seasons, the Cougars have gone 22-3 overall and 15-3 in the conference - a remarkable run by any standard.
Sitake’s decision to stay says a lot about where BYU is heading. He’s not just building a competitive program - he’s building a contender.
And with the Cougars knocking on the door of a conference championship, it’s clear that Sitake believes there’s more to accomplish in Provo. The Cougars do too - and now they’re making sure he has everything he needs to keep this thing rolling.