Recently, BYU football coach Kalani Sitake has caught Penn State's eye as a potential successor. However, Sitake hasn't said here nor there as to whether he intends to go.
Nevertheless, a group of BYU donors is working together to ensure that Sitkae sticks around, per Ralph D. Russo of The Athletic. One of those donors includes Jason McGowan, Co-Founder and CEO of the bakery chain Crumbl.
Recently, McGown offered to pay a potential $50,000 fine brought on by BYU fans who stormed the field after their 24-21 win over No. 13 Utah. However, no fine was levied by the Big 12. As a result, McGowan decided to cover the school lunch debt in local school districts. Additionally, he used funds to pay for NIL opportunities for BYU athletes.
Meanwhile, the Cougars are No. 11 in the country with an 11-1 record. They also have an 8-1 record in the Big 12 with one game left in the regular season. On Saturday, the Cougars will face No. 5 Texas Tech, whom they lost to 29-7 on Nov. 8.
On Oct. 12, Penn State fired head coach James Franklin after the Nittany Lions lost three straight games.
Whatever happens, Kalani Sitake had a successful tenure at BYU.
Since 2016, Sitake has been the head coach at BYU. During this stretch, he has led the Cougars to multiple bowl appearances and wins, many winning seasons, and finished the 2024 campaign at 11-2 and tied for first place in the Big 12 Conference. In the end, they finished ranked #13 in the nation.
Over three seasons, the Cougars had 10+ wins in five of those seasons. Their overall bowl record under Sitake was 5-2.
Before this coaching success, Sitake had played for BYU as a fullback from 1998 to 2000. Sitake was named Football Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1998 and Impact Player of the Year in 1999.
In 1999, he helped lead the Cougars to their first Mountain West Conference championship.
