BYU head coach Kalani Sitake pulled back the curtain on the whirlwind surrounding his name this week, addressing both the Penn State coaching rumors and the timing of his new contract extension during an appearance on “Wake Up Barstool”.
What had looked like serious momentum toward Sitake becoming Penn State’s next head coach instead ended with BYU securing him long-term, and Sitake making a very deliberate choice about where his priorities stand. Sitake explained that the situation escalated quickly once word was out about Penn State’s interest and his ongoing contract discussions with BYU.
“Things got sped up,” Sitake said on the podcast. “Once people started hearing about what was happening with me, and even what was going on with my negotiations here. Now I had to just make a decision because it’s not fair to the team, it’s not fair to the staff, and the fans if I were to be thinking about another job.”
Several reports and insiders believed Penn State was closing in on Sitake, with signs pointing toward a near-complete agreement. Instead, BYU unveiled a major extension that includes a reported raise, aimed at stabilizing the current roster. He added that the distraction alone forced him to reach a conclusion sooner than expected.
“So that kind of sped it up a bit for me and I had to make a decision yesterday and the decision was to stay here, coach the team. If the decision was to leave I would had to make it then and I wasn’t ready to do that yet,” Sitake added.
The head coach at Provo also emphasized that his choice came down to loyalty and keeping focus on BYU’s postseason goals rather than personal advancement.
“I just didn’t think that it would be right to be about me when we’re trying to get to this championship game. Have the focus be on Texas Tech and on BYU and the Big 12 Championship,” he said.
Although Sitake never mentioned Lane Kiffin, the contrast here is obvious. While Sitake chose stability and commitment, Kiffin stunned the sport by leaving Ole Miss before its first College Football Playoff appearance to take the LSU job — a move that left the Rebels preparing for the postseason without the coach who led them to an 11-win regular season.
With his future settled, Sitake now turns his full attention toward BYU’s championship push, as they face No.4 Texas Tech (11-1) in a massive challenge. The Cougars enter the coming years with renewed stability, thanks to a head coach who has made clear where his loyalty lies.
