Five Things Kalani Sitake’s Mammoth Extension Means for the Future of BYU Football
After several anxious days in which BYU head coach Kalani Sitake was reported to be interviewing for the Oregon head coaching job, Cougar fans were able to breath a collective sigh of relief when BYU announced a massive extension to keep Sitake in place at least through the 2027 season.
BYU’s official press release described Coach Sitake’s extension as “unprecedented” — and probably not just because Kalani had already been extended through 2025 prior to the start of the season. Kalani Sitake’s extension provides several big-time benefits as BYU gets ready to transition into the Big 12.
1. No Frantic Head Coaching Search
First and foremost, the possibility of losing Sitake right before the Independence Bowl and the early signing period would be truly disastrous for BYU. No school wants to find itself without a head coach during what is a surprisingly active time at the end of the season.
There’s also the factor of who could be an available coach for BYU if Kalani left. As BYU’s most visible program, it’s long been assumed that the football head coach needs to be an active member of the Church. While women’s cross country head coach Diljeet Taylor is not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she is the lone exception to that unwritten rule.
While Taylor’s hiring may indicate that this is no longer a requirement, there’s no denying that there are pretty slim pickings as far as active church members who also happen to be qualified to be a head coach — particularly if Kalani had taken his staff along with him to another school.
2. Retention of Key Staff
Speaking of the rest of the BYU football staff, Coach Sitake and BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe made it clear from the get-go that much of the negotiations for his new contract were really about taking care of the rest of his coaching staff.
As Tom Holmoe explained, “It is not part of Kalani’s deal, but it is part of our vision and how we put it all together. Those are separate (negotiations) that are moving forward … I would say that the assistant coaching pool, those contracts are coming together as we speak. So they will all be done and renewed (before) Jan. 1.”
By allocating more money to the assistant staff, BYU can avoid repeating situations like Jeff Grimes leaving to become the offensive coordinator at Baylor, or A.J. Steward leaving to become the running backs coach at Arizona. Continuity among the assistant staff can be just as important for the team’s future success.
3. Keeping the Recruiting Mojo
Kalani Sitake’s recruiting classes may not have always ranked high, but his status as a true player’s coach has won him the hearts and loyalty of his players. BYU’s 2022 recruiting class is poised to be its best in years — though we’ve already seen what Kalani can do with lower-ranked rosters.
If Kalani had left, much of BYU’s recruiting mojo that it has gained thanks to its pending Big 12 membership would have left along with him. Before the contract extension was announced, Oregon transfer Kingsley Suamataia tweeted “We follow Kalani Sitake,” later telling his followers “If you don’t agree @kalanifsitake is worth it please unfollow me.”
Suamataia has since deleted both tweets.
At the time, however, both likes and retweets from other potential signees show that Suamataia wasn’t alone in feeling this way. By extending Kalani, the football team can continue to build on a culture that is starting to attract higher-rated talent.
4. Additional Support for Team Operations
Strength and conditioning, training room and nutritional staff may not seem like the most exciting thing to most fans, but they go a long way in providing an optimal environment for a football team to perform its best. These resources go a long way in aiding player development — and even recruiting.
BYU’s facilities and staffing investments have long trailed those of Power 5 programs — something that can’t continue as the team begins Big 12 play. Additional support for team operations puts every player on the team in a better position to succeed.
As Kalani said, “This is about getting our players the opportunities and the resources they need, and that is why, in my opinion, the unprecedented part of it involves more than just me.”
5. Maintaining Momentum for the Big 12
Momentum is a big deal in college football — and right now, it feels like BYU has never had more of it. Over the past two seasons, the Cougars have gone a combined 21-3, even after losing a ton of players to the NFL draft and free agency after the 2020 season. The Big 12 invite came in the same weekend that the Cougars snapped the streak against Utah.
A win in the Independence Bowl gives the Cougars a potential top-ten finish that could also impact their preseason rankings for 2022. As BYU wraps up the independence era, how the Cougars perform will go a long way in helping them get ready for Big 12 play — as well as influencing how the new Big 12 is perceived in general.
By extending Kalani and giving the team the resources they need, Cougar fans can expect this momentum to continue so BYU can prove that the team truly belongs.
Kalani Sitake’s extension means so much more for the BYU football program than simply having to scrap together an interim coaching staff for this weekend’s bowl game. With a contract that focuses on much more than Kalani’s own salary, this new extension shows that BYU is ready to make the transition to being a true Power 5 school.
