It is now Day 50 of the Penn State Head Coaching Search. And, if we are to read the smoke signals clearly, BYU coach Kalani Sitake has entered the chat.
Athletic director Pat Kraft, the point person for the search and the triggerman on firing James Franklin back on Oct. 12, is the man with the plan — which he is not sharing publicly. There has not been any official news emanating from Kraft’s home office in the Athletic Administration Building, located just to the east of Beaver Stadium across Porter Road, since his presser the day after CJF left PSU. Kraft did tell us that day what he’s looking for.
Stories were spreading across the internet that Kraft had connected with Sitake and may have even traveled west to Provo, Utah, on Sunday to talk with Sitake, However, there is no official evidence that is true. And I can tell you that no private jets landed at State College Regional Airport Sunday night between 11:20 p.m. and 1:30 a.m.
(In case you were wondering: It is 1,767 flight miles and approximately 4 hours and 2 minutes form SCE to PVU — the Provo Airport. Provo Airport is located 13 minutes southwest of BYU campus, on Utah Lake.)
We are not going to tell you that Sitake is a surefire candidate. But, what we are going to do is let you know the basics behind his career and his recent success at Brigham Young University. And it is recent.
In the last two seasons under Sitake, BYU has a record of 22-3 in the Big 12 Conference — only its third season in the league — and is set to face Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game this Saturday. Prior to the 2024 season, Sitake had a respectable, but not sterling, 60-41 mark (.591) at BYU.
With that, let’s fly into this week’s Top 10 and learn a bit more about Kalani Sitake and his BYU team:
THE TOP 10 ON DAY 50
1. BYU is 11-1 overall and 8-1 in the Big 12 in 2025. The Cougars were ranked No. 11 in Sunday’s Associated Press Top 25 poll and were No. 11 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, released last Tuesday. A new CFP ranking list will be shared tomorrow at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
2. BYU will play Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game at noon on Saturday in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game will be televised by ABC. Texas Tech is ranked No. 5, and is also 11-1/8-1. Its sole loss came in October, when Tech lost at Arizona State 26-22. The title game is a rematch: The Cougars lost 29-7 against the Red Raiders in Lubbock on Nov. 8. BYU is a 13.5-point underdog.
2a. If it wins, BYU is in the CFP. If BYU loses, it still has a decent shot at a CFP at-large bid, especially if they play well.
2b. A BYU loss would certainly make it easier for Penn State to quickly hire and bring aboard Sitake. A BYU win would trigger the Kiffin Effect and make it all the stickier.
3. Sitake on leaving BYU — earlier this season, when asked about rumors of being a candidate for other jobs, he said: “I try to keep focused on the young men. We have amazing young men and an amazing culture in our program. I just want to make sure we are focused on that. But I’m always down to talk to the boys about anything they want to talk to me about.”
4. Sitake got a new contract almost exactly a year ago. A BYU press release on Dec. 7, 2024 announced a new long-term deal between him and the school, replacing the previous contract that ran from 2021-27. Terms were not announced. (Some estimates have him in the $3-$4 million per year range at BYU, which is a private school and is the flagship university of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) The release:
“PROVO, Utah – BYU director of athletics Tom Holmoe announced Saturday the university and head coach Kalani Sitake have agreed to a long-term contract extension that will keep Sitake as the leader of the Cougars’ football program well into the future.”
“I’m thrilled to announce a long-term agreement to extend Kalani Sitake as BYU’s Head Football Coach,” said Holmoe. “In his nine years at the helm of the Cougs, Kalani has created a culture that fits the mission of Brigham Young University and our sponsoring institution—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kalani builds strong connections with our football student athletes that help them grow and develop as players on the field, and, more importantly, he helps strengthen our men for their lives after football. Kalani’s signing signals his loyalty to a program he has poured much of his life into as a young fan, a player and our head coach. With college football experiencing so many recent changes, it’s good to know we will have a consistent leader for a long time in Kalani Sitake.”
5. Sitake’s official bio is here.
6. The 2024 season put Sitake on the map. After BYU went 11-2 last year, and finished tied for first in the Big 12, the Cougars were ranked No. 13 in the final AP poll. Sitake was recognized for the Cougars’ success with two big honors: He was 2024 AFCA Region 4 Coach of the Year and he was a finalist for the AFCA National Coach of the Year.
7. Kalani is 83-44 overall at BYU, with four double-digit victory seasons out of 10. BYU was an independent in 2016-22 and joined the Big 12 in 2023. Here is his record as a head coach:
2016 — 9-4, Poinsettia Bowl (W)
2017 — 4-9
2018 — 7-6, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (W)
2019 — 7-6, Hawaii Bowl (L)
2020 — 11-1, Boca Raton Bowl (W); Final AP – 11
2021 — 10-3, Independence Bowl (L), Final AP – 19
2022 — 8-5, New Mexico Bowl (W)
2023 — 5-7, 2-7 (t-11th)
2024 — 11-2, 7-2 (t-1st), Alamo Bowl (W), Final AP – 13
2025 — 11-1, 8-1 (t-1st), AP – 11, CFP – 11
TOTAL — 83-44 (.653)
BIG 12 — 17-10 (.630)
8. Sitake is a coaching disciple of Utah veteran head coach Kyle Whittingham. He was an assistant coach at Utah for a decade, and climbed the ladder to assistant head coach. His coaching chronology:
BYU, Head Coach (2016-2025)
Oregon State, Asst. HC/DC (2015)
Utah (2005-14), Asst. Head Coach/DC/LB (2012-14); DC/LB (2009-11); LB (2005-08)
Southern Utah (2003-04), OL/TE (2004); RB/TE (2003)
BYU, GA-Defense (2002)
Eastern Arizona, DB/ST (2001)
9. Sitake is the nation’s first FBS head football coach of Tongan descent. More about him:
Age/birthplace: 50, Nuku’alofa, Tonga; raised in Laie, Hawai’i and Provo, Utah.
Family: Married to Timberly Friddle of Florida; has three daughters, Skye, Sadie, and Sylvia, and one son, Kelaokalani (KK). Younger brother T.J. played DE for BYU; older brother Tevita Pella played DE for Utah.
Social media: KalaniFSitake – X; SitakeKalani – IG.
Mission: Served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Oakland, Calif.
Education: BYU, B.A, English.
College football: Fullback, 3-yr. starter, team captain (2000), under HC Lavell Edwards; rushing, 86-373 (4.3); receiving, 62-536 (8.65).
NFL: Free agent contract with Cincinnati Bengals (2001), but was forced to retire due to an injury.
10. Penn State has played three games against BYU, the first coming in the 1989 Holiday Bowl, won 50-39 by the Nittany Lions in an historic shoot-out. BYU QB Detmer completed 42 of 59 passes for 576 yards and shared Offensive MVP honors with PSU running back Blair Thomas, who ran 35 times for 186 yards. The brief history, which Penn State leads 2-1:
1989 — Holiday Bowl, PSU 50, BYU 39
1991 — @PSU 33, BYU 7
1992 — @BYU 30, PSU 17
