What Penn State Fans Should Know About BYU's Kalani Sitake

The BYU coach has emerged as Penn State's top coaching target, according to multiple reports.

BYU Cougars football head coach Kalani Sitake celebrates with the team after winning 41-27 over Iowa State at Jack Trice Stadium. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State finally has a lead coaching candidate with substantial momentum. According to multiple reports, Penn State has trained its focus on BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake.

ESPN's Pete Thamel and On3's Brett McMurphy and Chris Low reported Monday that Sitaki is Penn State's "top target," which a separate source confirmed. An announcement from Penn State does not appear imminent, as Penn State's Board of Trustees has not scheduled a contract approval meeting.

Sitake is scheduled to coach BYU (11-1) in the Big 12 championship game Saturday against Texas Tech. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on ABC. Until then, here's what Penn State fans should know about Kalani Sitake.

He has been a consistent winner at BYU

BYU Cougars football head coach Kalani Sitake celebrates after a defensive stop against Iowa State during the fourth quarter at Jack Trice Stadium. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sitake, 50, in his 10th season as BYU's head coach and has had just one losing second (his second at 4-9). BYU has won at least 10 games four times. The Cougars are 11-1 this season, having lost only to Texas Tech 29-7. If BYU wins the rematch, it will qualify for the College Football Playoff.

Sitake ranks among the top-5 coaches nationally in winning percentage (.747) over the past six seasons. Last year he was a finalist for the AFCA Coach of the Year award, having guided BYU to an 11-2 record and a win in the Alamo Bowl.

Sitake has deep roots at BYU

BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, when asked a general question on how he addresses coaching rumors with his team. pic.twitter.com/hEDzcIvcSp

— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 1, 2025

Sitake arrived at BYU in 1994, when he began serving a two-year mission in California. After redshirting during the 1997 season, Sitake became a three-year starter at fullback for the Cougars. He played for LaVell Edwards and was a team captain as a senior.

Sitake served as a graduate assistant at BYU in 2002 before branching his career to Southern Utah, Utah and one season at Oregon State in 2015 as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. He returned to BYU as the head coach in December 2015, which Sitake called a "dream."

"I'm grateful for everything BYU gave me as a player," Sitake said in a statement upon being hired. "It's a dream come true for me to return home. I love the university and what it stands for, and I'm looking forward to helping the young men in the program reach their goals athletically, academically and spiritually."

Sitake is the first head coach from Tonga in college football

BYU Cougars football head coach Kalani Sitake celebrates after an interception during a 41-27 win over Iowa State. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

According to his official BYU bio, Sitake was born in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, and raised in Laie, Hawaii
and Provo, Utah. He also played high school football for two seasons in Kirkwood, Missouri, where he was recruited to BYU. That gave him an appreciation for the run game.

“In the Midwest, they play smash-mouth football,” Sitake said in a 2000 story for the BYU media relations department. “We hardly ever passed the ball; it was straight running.”

Sitake likely has a passing game coordinator in mind

If Sitake accepts the Penn State job, he most likely will bring his cousin Fesi Sitake, BYU's passing game coordinator. The two are extremely close and have coached together since 2018, when Fesi joined the BYU staff as wide receivers coach. He has been the Cougars' passing game coordinator since 2021.

Kalani Sitake became a mentor to Fesi when Fesi's mother was diagnosed with a rare progressive disease, as the two detailed in the BYU video above. Fesi Sitake, who went to Southern Utah, told the Deseret News' Dick Harmon in March that he became a BYU fan because of Kalani.

"I lived with him in summers. I came to BYU football camps. I was a diehard BYU fan watching him play," Fesi told the Deseret News. "When he went to Utah to coach, I became a Utah fan. I realized I was more of a Kalani supporter than I was of any team. That just confirmed the love and loyalty that I have towards him.”

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Sitake has a lot of fans in Provo

Why do you love Kalani?

What does it mean to you to have @kalanifsitake as our head coach at BYU?

Right now is the moment to let Kalani feel the love, respect, and gratitude of Cougar Nation. He has given everything to this program. Let’s show him how much he means to all of…

— Jason McGowan (@jasonmcgowan) December 2, 2025

Jason McGowan, co-founder of the Utah-based Crumbl Cookies, apparently won't let Sitake go without a fight. Forbes valued Crumbl potentially as a $2 billion company, meaning McGowan could make a late push to help retain Sitake at BYU.

Elsewhere, Sitake has become a fan favorite at BYU through his engaging personality, love of place and success on the field.

In my opinion, a person leaves their ‘dream job’ for generational money OR if they feel a lack of respect. That same person stays at their ‘dream job’ if they have ‘operable’ money and feel completely respected. In the case of #BYUFOOTBALL, this is Kalani’s ‘dream job’ — which… pic.twitter.com/ClNWabIiBT

— Dave McCann (@DaveMcCannTV) December 1, 2025