Kalani Sitake Becomes New Favorite for Penn State Job

Penn State’s long coaching search has taken another turn, and a new name is now at the top. Nittany Lions are yet to hire a successor to the current head coach but the list of prospective candidates continues to evolve after every few days. Now, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake has become the newest frontrunner.

According to the latest odds from Kalshi, Kalani Sitake has a 22% chance of landing the job. Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer is right behind him at 20%, followed by Bob Chesney at 18% and USC head coach Lincoln Riley at 17%. What makes this interesting is that neither Alabama nor USC has shown any sign of moving on from their coaches. But because Alabama could miss the playoffs this year, some people think DeBoer might face pressure.

Before Kalani Sitake moved into the lead, many fans were talking about a “mystery hire.” But no single coach clearly stood out. Some analysts guessed it might be Chesney or Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, while others wondered if longtime assistant Terry Smith could get a shot. The lack of clear answers has made this coaching search feel confusing and unpredictable.

Still, Kalani Sitake seems like a strong fit. He has been at BYU for almost as long as James Franklin was at Penn State, and he has a proven track record. Sitake has an 82-44 career record, four seasons with 10 or more wins, and he has led BYU to the Big 12 Championship Game this year. Earlier in the season, when asked about job rumors, he said his focus was on avoiding distractions and keeping his program steady.

While Penn State waits to make a decision, the delay is hurting them. With no head coach in place, the school has already lost some recruits who have flipped to other programs. What was meant to be a fresh start has quickly become one of the most messy years in recent Penn State history.

Even with Kalani Sitake now leading the odds, Kalen DeBoer’s name has not gone away. With several top coaching candidates now out of the picture, the job is wide open. Some fans think a loss in the Iron Bowl could push DeBoer even higher on the list, but college football analyst Paul Finebaum says he hasn’t heard anything real to suggest DeBoer is leaving Alabama.

For now, Penn State fans are still waiting. The search continues, and the next update could change everything again.

Also Read: Dan Campbell’s Fourth-Down Choices Hurt Lions in Tough Loss