Sitake Stays at BYU, But His Own Words Hint at a Rushed Decision

Kalani Sitake is staying at BYU — at least for now — but if you listened closely to his recent interview on Wake Up Barstool, his decision didn’t seem as firm as the new contract extension suggests. The longtime Cougar head coach signed a major deal earlier this week after Penn State zeroed in on him as their top candidate, yet his explanation for how things unfolded sounded more like a man pushed into a corner than someone celebrating a dream move.

Sitake didn’t hide how chaotic the past few days felt. He admitted that everything moved faster than he wanted once word began leaking about Penn State’s interest and BYU’s negotiations.

“I never want the program to be about one player, and it definitely won’t be about one coach,” Sitake said on the show. He added that he hoped to delay any major decisions until after BYU’s upcoming Big 12 Championship Game, but that became impossible once rumors started flying. “Things got sped up… I had to just make a decision ’cause it’s not fair to the team, not fair to the staff and the fans if I were to be thinking about another job.”

That line — “I wasn’t ready to leave… but I wasn’t ready to make that decision either” — was the real eye-opener. It painted a picture of a coach who wanted time to breathe, consider options, and evaluate a massive opportunity. Instead, the timing of Penn State’s search and the looming championship game forced him to choose earlier than he hoped.

The situation heated up quickly. Penn State, quietly lining up potential replacements for James Franklin, met with Sitake and reportedly discussed staff details and an offer worth eight figures annually, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. BYU countered immediately, eventually landing on a package worth about $9 million per season to keep their former fullback in Provo.

Sitake has always called BYU his “dream job,” and after nearly a decade leading the Cougars, he remains the face of the program. But his candid interview made one thing clear: even dream jobs come with tough decisions, and this one arrived at the worst possible moment.

While Connor Griffin — a Penn State alum and Barstool producer — sat across from him in a full Nittany Lions jumpsuit, Sitake kept things friendly, even offering the fanbase a calm, confident message.

“They’ll be fine,” Sitake said. “They have great leadership and an amazing fan base… They’re going to be fine.”

He even cracked a joke about sending a BYU jumpsuit to “Provo Dave,” a nickname Barstool founder Dave Portnoy earned after falling in love with BYU during a visit in October. Portnoy had been loudly campaigning online for Sitake to stay, claiming BYU football — and “Provo Dave” himself — couldn’t survive without him.

In the end, BYU got the outcome it wanted: Sitake stays. But from Sitake’s own lips, it didn’t sound like a story of pure loyalty — more like a coach caught between two massive decisions and choosing the one he was least unprepared for.

Also Read: Penn State’s Costly Coaching Hunt Takes New Twist