The Pros and Cons of Hiring Kalani Sitake at Penn State

The BYU coach reportedly has emerged as the leading target of Penn State's seven-week coaching search.

Brigham Young Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake celebrates a win against the Arizona Wildcats. | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Penn State reportedly has zeroed in on BYU’s Kalani Satake as its next head coach, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and multiple other national reporters. Sitake is the first coach to be tied seriously to the Penn State job, which has been open since Oct. 12.

Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft promised a nationwide search for the coach he said possesses a “vision of championships.” Is Sitake that coach? In the next edition of our profile series, we spotlight Sitake and whether he’s a fit for the Nittany Lions.  

Kalani Sitake at a glance

• School: BYU

• Age: 50

• Hometown: Nuku’alofa, Tonga

• Head coaching experience: 10th year at BYU

• Where he has coached: Sitake began his coaching career at Eastern Arizona, serving as the defensive backs and special teams coach in 2001. Sitake returned to BYU, his alma mater, as a graduate assistant in 2002 before joining Southern Utah as its offensive line, tight ends and running backs coach. Sitake’s final two stops before his current gig at BYU were at Utah (2005-14) and Oregon State (2015). He was the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Utah from 2012-14 and held the same titles at Oregon State in 2015.

What to know about Kalani Sitake

Brigham Young Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake celebrates an overtime win vs. the Arizona Wildcats with his team and the crowd. | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Sitake, who’s in his 25th year as a coach, is one of the most well-regarded head coaches in college football. The BYU fan base loves him, and Cougars’ donors are trying their best to keep Sitake in Provo. Jason McGowan, the co-founder and CEO of Crumbl Cookies, said on X that “Some people are not replaceable,” amid reports of Sitake’s potential departure. 

Some people are not replaceable. Sounds like it is time for me to get off the sidelines and get to work.

— Jason McGowan (@jasonmcgowan) December 1, 2025

Sitake is a BYU guy through and through. He played fullback for the Cougars for four seasons under LaVell Edwards and was a team captain his senior year. In his 10 seasons as BYU’s head coach, Sitake has been bowl-eligible eight times and has won 10+ games four times. In their third season in the Big 12, Sitake and the Cougars are 11-1 and playing in the conference title game for a shot at a College Football Playoff berth. Sitake will coach Saturday's championship game against Texas Tech.

Notably, Sitake has developed plenty of NFL talent. Among the 33 NFL players (13 as head coach) he has mentored are Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua, linebackers Sione Takitaki and Fred Warner and running back Jamaal Williams. His 2020 quarterback Zach Wilson was the New York Jets’ first-round pick.

Why Kalani Sitake would fit at Penn State

BYU football can officially start now that Kalani Sitake broke out the pregame dance moves. pic.twitter.com/JfxzIIuchb

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) August 30, 2025

Kraft defined his search terms in October: “Our next coach will be someone who embodies everything Penn State stands for: integrity, accountability, toughness, humility and an elite motivator. We'll find a coach who can achieve excellence at the highest level, doing it with confidence and conviction.”

Sitake seems to fit Kraft’s criteria. He has developed tough, hard-nosed teams, has battled through adversity and is an elite motivator. In an October profile for The Athletic, Sitake distilled his coaching philosophy with the acronym AMP: autonomy, mastery, purpose.

Sitake is also engaging and seeks joy, traits that fit any program but especially Penn State’s, which must rebuild joy after the 2025 season. In The Athletic’s piece, Sitake described what he loves about coaching like this:

“The thing I love about being head coach is not that I get praise or credit, it’s that I get more access to people,” Sitake told The Athletic. “I love when fans want to take a picture with me. It’s not like I’m an extremely handsome person. You know when you take a selfie, when you’re all squeezing together in tight and smiling? You can’t help but come away from that moment with at least a little bit of joy.”

Why Kalani Sitake might not fit at Penn State

Sitake has been a BYU guy forever. He played there, got his second coaching job there and has been the head coach there for a decade. BYU defines its academic purpose differently than other universities, notably through “mission-inspired scholarship.” Recruiting is different there. Players often go on missions before beginning their playing careers; Sitake went on a two-year mission in California before playing for the Cougars. Both Sitake and Penn State would need to make compromises for the hire to work.

Further, Sitake hasn’t lived east of Kirkwood, Missouri, where he played high school football for two years. He was born in Tonga, grew up in Hawaii and Provo and coached in Arizona, Utah and Oregon. It’s unclear how well he could sell Penn State’s brand to others, considering his lack of familiarity with it. 

Bottom line

Sitake is a phenomenal coach. Most people who know him have nothing but good things to say about him. Yet there are so many questions about this process. Why would Sitake leave his alma mater? Would BYU, which has a strong donor base, attempt to match Penn State’s offer? And how would Sitake fit Penn State’s culture? Only time will tell, but with the current pool of coaches, Sitake is arguably the best person available. Kraft should take the chance.

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