Sitake’s name has come up in connection with Penn State’s job opening after an 11-win regular season in Provo.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake as BYU hosts TCU on Nov. 15.
Kalani Sitake’s name has been swirling around the Penn State coaching vacancy all weekend.
And BYU’s head coach says it is a “great distraction” heading into the Cougars’ most consequential game in at least a decade.
“This is a great distraction to have, let’s be honest,” Sitake said. “I’ll address it with the team. … But they are used to me saying, ‘Hey, this is a good sign that things are going well for us.’ But I will say that this isn’t about me.”
No. 11 BYU plays No. 5 Texas Tech for the Big 12 title in Arlington this week. With a win, the Cougars would punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff.
The Cougars are 11-1, but squarely on the playoff bubble.
“I’m all about the Big 12 championship and keeping our team focused on that. We’re going to avoid all of the distractions,” Sitake said Monday.
Penn State is one of the few remaining Power Four job openings left in this coaching carousel. Since firing former coach James Franklin in the middle of the season, the Nittany Lions have been linked to several high-profile candidates.
Among them, Indiana’s Curt Cignetti, Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, Iowa State’s Matt Campbell and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea were all seen as front-runners, according to The Athletic.
But Cignetti, Rhule and Lea all signed extensions with their respective schools to keep Penn State’s coaching search going.
Sitake is finishing his 10th season in Provo, where he also played for the school’s all-time winningest coach, LaVell Edwards. Sitake grew up a BYU fan and is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sponsors BYU.
In his tenure, BYU is 83-44 and is playing for a league title in the program’s third year since joining the Power Four.
In the last two seasons, BYU has won 22 games. That is the most in the Big 12.
Sitake signed a contract extension last year and was elevated to an associate athletic director role.
When asked if he was pleased with how BYU has taken care of him financially, he said, “I’ve gained weight, you can tell. I’m living a good life.”
