Sitake Stays?! BYU Fans Stunned By Penn State Twist!

Well, folks, it looks like the Penn State coaching search is still a hot mess, because Kalani Sitake is staying put at BYU. According to ESPN, Sitake inked a pretty sweet deal to remain in Provo, effectively taking his name out of the running for the Nittany Lions' head coaching gig. This comes after a whirlwind of rumors on Monday that suggested he was a serious contender to replace James Franklin, who, let's face it, left quite the hole to fill.

Sitake Stays?! BYU Fans Stunned By Penn State Twis...

So, where does this leave Penn State? Still searching, obviously. It's been almost two months since Franklin's departure, and the coaching carousel just keeps spinning. Sitake joins the ranks of other coaches who were rumored to be on Penn State's radar, like Indiana's Curt Cignetti and Nebraska's Matt Rhule, all of whom have recently signed extensions with their current schools. It feels like everyone's getting raises except the poor soul who's going to end up coaching at Penn State.

And let's be real, it's tough to blame Sitake for staying at BYU. He's built something pretty special there. The Cougars have been on fire the past couple of seasons, racking up a 22-3 record since the start of 2023. They're currently sitting pretty at 11-1 this year and ranked 11th in the College Football Playoff poll. Plus, they're heading to the Big 12 Championship Game to face Texas Tech on Saturday. That's a lot to walk away from.

Under Sitake's leadership, BYU has consistently been a winning program. Think about it: nine winning seasons out of his ten years at the helm! Remember back in 2020 and 2021 when they were independent? They went 11-1 and 10-3, respectively. Those strong performances were a major factor in securing their invitation to the Big 12. Overall, he's got an impressive 83-44 record at BYU, especially considering it's his first head coaching job. Not bad, not bad at all.

What's interesting is that Sitake's career is so deeply rooted in Utah. He actually played for BYU, and with the exception of a brief stint outside of the state, his entire coaching career has been spent there. Before taking the head coaching job in 2016, he held assistant positions at Eastern Arizona, BYU, Utah, and Oregon State. Maybe that strong connection to the area played a role in his decision to stay. Ultimately, Penn State's loss is BYU's gain. Now the question is, who will they go after next?