After reportedly engaging in talks with Penn State about its head coaching vacancy, Kalani Sitake will remain in his position at BYU by agreeing to a long-term contract extension on Tuesday, the school announced.
“He is a proven leader, and we are grateful he is once again choosing BYU,” Cougars athletic director Brian Santiago said in a news release. “His legacy of building a championship program the BYU way will continue on. He is one of the best people in the business. We are excited to continue to ride the wave of positive momentum with him.”
Sitake, 50, and the No. 11 Cougars (11-1) are focused on Saturday’s Big 12 title game against No. 4 Texas Tech (11-1), with the winner earning an automatic berth to the College Football Playoff.
In his 10th season at his alma mater, Sitake is 83-44 (.654 winning percentage). He has guided the program to four 10-win seasons in the past six years and is 5-2 in bowl games.
“I am humbled and full of gratitude for the outpouring of love from BYU fans and the trust and support provided to our football program by our university leadership,” Sitake said.
“This is good for the stability and future of BYU football. I’m excited about our future.”
In the wake of James Franklin’s firing, Penn State shifted its focus to Sitake, engaging in talks about a coaching staff and other topics, ESPN reported on Monday. However, the sides did not reach an agreement.
Sitake, the first Tongan to become a college head coach, played for the Cougars in 1994 and from 1997-2000, then signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2001. A back injury ended his NFL career, which led him to the coaching ranks. Along with a stop at BYU as a graduate assistant, Sitake was a member of the coaching staffs at Eastern Arizona, Oregon State, Utah and Southern Utah.
