College Football HQ

Andy Reid reportedly involved in coaching candidate rejecting Penn State

Rowan Fisher Shotton|
Denver, Colorado, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid before the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.
Denver, Colorado, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid before the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

In this story:

BYU Cougars

Kalani Sitake, the architect of BYU’s recent resurgence, has agreed to a long-term extension that keeps him in Provo amid heavy interest from Penn State and other Power Five programs.

The deal, announced by BYU on Tuesday, closes one of college football’s most publicized coaching pursuits of the fall and comes as Sitake prepares to lead an 11-1 Cougar team into the Big 12 Championship Game.

However, sources close to the decision say Sitake did not make the call alone.

As Penn State pushed hard in its head-coach search, Sitake "assembled an all-star cast of advisers" to weigh the options, a group that included former BYU stars and, notably, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid and Hall of Famer Steve Young.

Widely regarded as one of modern football’s most successful tacticians, Reid has led the Kansas City Chiefs to three Super Bowl championships and ranks fourth all-time in career NFL coaching victories (279). 

His historical connection to BYU, as he is part of LaVell Edwards’ coaching tree and has longstanding ties to the university, makes his backing particularly resonant inside Cougar Nation. 

BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake.
Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake, right, speaks with UCF Knights head coach Scott Frost before the game at LaVell Edwards Stadium. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

A former BYU fullback who returned to the program as head coach in 2016, Sitake has compiled an 83-44 record through ten seasons, engineered multiple 10-win campaigns, and gone 5-2 in bowl games while guiding BYU through conference realignment and the jump to the Big 12. 

Over the last two seasons, BYU has gone 22-3, and this year's Cougars featured multiple conference award winners, including Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin and Offensive Freshman of the Year Bear Bachmeier. 

Sitake himself was named the Big 12 Chuck Neinas Coach of the Year. 

That success factored into the new deal and BYU’s willingness to increase resources around the program.

At the end of the day, the local coach who’s delivered results stuck with continuity over a Manhattan-style power move, and Andy Reid’s respected perspective helped seal the choice to stay.

Read More at College Football HQ

Published
Rowan Fisher
ROWAN FISHER SHOTTON

Rowan Fisher-Shotton is a versatile journalist known for sharp analysis, player-driven storytelling, and quick-turn coverage across CFB, CBB, the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. A Wilfrid Laurier alum and lifelong athlete, he’s written for FanSided, Pro Football Network, Athlon Sports, and Newsweek, tackling every beat with both a reporter’s edge and a player’s eye.

Home/News