Where Penn State's Coaching Search Goes Now With Kalani Sitake Staying at BYU

Penn State's coaching search took another dramatic detour Tuesday, as BYU's Kalani Sitake reportedly has exited the picture. ESPN's Pete Thamel was among multiple reporters to confirm that Sitake has informed Penn State that he intents to stay at BYU.

BYU later announced Tuesday that it had signed Sitake to a long-term extension. “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 in a statement.

Sitake, in his 10th season as BYU's head coach, had emerged as a leading candidate for the Penn State job, whose search is in Week 8. Sitake is a highly regarded coach with a compelling story who has the Cougars in the Big 12 title game with a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line.

A GREAT day to be a Coug. pic.twitter.com/tjEH50UNsx
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) December 2, 2025

However, it appears that offers of financial upgrades for the program, along with the emotional pull of staying at his alma mater, kept Sitake in Provo. So now, Penn State returns to the market whose candidate pool is closing.

Where could Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft go from here? A refresh on some of the contenders.

Bob Chesney

The second-year James Madison coach still is high on Penn State's list, though the Nittany Lions might be chasing now. ESPN reported that Chesney is expected to become UCLA's next head coach after Saturday's Sun Belt championship game.

Penn State could be too late to refresh conversations with Chesney, though its pitch would be simple. Chesney, who has coached solely in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, could step into the job in State College far more smoothly than in Los Angeles.

Chesney fits the ethos of Penn State that Kraft described in October as representing “the toughness, the blue-collar work ethic and the class that defines this institution.” Watch Chesney discuss building toughness with Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh. This is exactly what Kraft wants to hear. It just might be too late.

Terry Smith

Smith wants to be at Penn State, which seems like a qualifying trait at this point. Penn State's interim head coach spent the past seven weeks detailing the ways in which he wants the full-time job. That he went 3-3 (losing to the top two teams in the country) undersells the point that Smith improved a team that looked lost at midseason.

"No one knows Penn State better than me," Smith said at his weekly press conference. "Of all the candidates that are out there, I know the history of Penn State. I know the culture, the DNA. I know the locker room. I know the administration. I think I'm a good leader. I think I'm a leader of men, and that will take care of itself when the time comes."

Penn State likely considered Smith, who has called James Franklin a mentor, part of the coaching tree from which it wanted to separate. But Smith would calm a confused roster and bring order to what appears (both inside and outside) to be a panicked situation. This is from Penn State linebacker Tony Rojas.

this just funny at this point ngl lol we might go a whole szn with no HC , when we clearly got a Head coach right upstairs in the office , dont understand 🤦🏽‍♂️
— Tony Rojas (@Tony_Rojas5) December 2, 2025

Jeff Brohm

The Louisville coach was part of the early search process, until On3's Pete Nakos reported in mid-November that the parties were working on a contract extension. That has yet to be announced, however, meaning Brohm continues to be an option.

Louisville (8-4) finished the regular season on a rough stretch, losing three straight games before beating Kentucky 41-0. Still, Brohm has won at tough places. He went 12-2 at Western Kentucky, 9-4 at Purdue and is 27-12 at Louisville. He also had more wins (three) at Purdue over top-5 teams than Franklin did at Penn State (one).

For what it's worth, Brohm shot up the board as the new leader on the Kalshi futures market at 34 percent.

Brian Hartline

Penn State reportedly interviewed the Ohio State wide receivers coach early in the process and left it there. Now, the parties might be inclined to circle back.

Some in the industry have compared Hartline to other coordinators-turned-head coaches such as Dan Lanning at Oregon, Kirby Smart at Georgia and even Ryan Day at Ohio State. Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein just got the head-coaching job at Kentucky. All were among the best assistants in the country when becoming first-time head coaches at high-profile programs. That has worked out in each case.

Though a gamble, hiring Hartline would bring fresh energy and a new approach to Penn State, particularly on offense. Hartline, whom Urban Meyer hired at Ohio State, has recruited and developed the best collection of receivers in the country. But he hasn't been a head coach, which has been key among the criteria for Penn State.

Brent Key

One coach working at his alma mater just spurned Penn State, which might provoke anxiety about pursuing another. But Georgia Tech is not in a conference championship game, so the move would be cleaner. Penn State could pull together a contract within the next few days.

Key led Georgia Tech to a 9-3 regular season and has won 27 games in four years at, yes, his alma mater. Perhaps he's ready for a new challenge in a different place? Still, Key hasn't coached anywhere north of Cullowhee, North Carolina. And in early November, Key delivered the most assertive non-denial denial of any coach in this carousel.

Brian Daboll

Nick Saban has endorsed Daboll's Penn State candidacy, which seemed to work for Lane Kiffin at LSU.

"I think he was in a tough situation with the Giants, but I do think that he's a very good coach," Saban said of the former New York Giants coach on the Pat McAfee Show. "He's a bright guy, he's a good recruiter, he relates well to the players, he's a good teacher, he's a got a good offensive mind, and he'll be able to put a good staff together. I think he would be an outstanding hire [for Penn State]."

This seems like a long shot, though. Then again, Penn State might be at the long-shot stage of the search.

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