Penn State’s search for a new head coach took another twist on Tuesday as BYU has persuaded Kalani Sitake from leaving to go to Happy Valley.
Sitake and BYU agreed to a long-term contract extension on Tuesday amid rumors tying the Cougars head coach to Penn State.
“We are excited to announce a long-term agreement to extend Kalani Sitake as BYU’s head football coach,” BYU Director of Athletics Brian Santiago said in a statement. “He is a proven leader, and we are grateful he is once again choosing BYU. His legacy of building a championship program the BYU way will continue on. He is one of the best people in the business. We are excited to continue to ride the wave of positive momentum with him.”
Pete Thamel of ESPN previously reported Sitake had “begun to inform people that he intends to stay” at BYU and that the school is “in the process of putting together a lucrative contract to keep him.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer of CBS Sports reported BYU was “working hard” to retain Sitake and that there was “optimism” within the program that he would stay.
Sitake appeared to have emerged from the field of candidates as the primary target for Penn State.
Brett McMurphy, Chris Low and Pete Nakos of On3.com reported on Monday that Sitake and the Nittany Lions “have had extensive conversations in recent weeks.”
Even though Penn State fired James Franklin on Oct. 12, the search has been surprisingly quiet for one of the nation’s premier programs. Florida, LSU and Virginia Tech are among the programs that made an in-season coaching change and hired a new person to lead them.
Andy Staples of On3 Sports said on Monday’s episode of The Dan Patrick Show that one possible explanation for the lack of noise around Penn State is school officials may have someone in mind who could be coaching a team preparing for a conference title game this weekend.
Sitake would fall into that category since BYU is preparing to take on Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday.
The Cougars could end up in the College Football Playoff regardless of the outcome this weekend, but a victory would secure an automatic berth. They are currently ranked No. 11 in the most recent College Football Playoff Top 25, making them the lowest-ranked one-loss team in the poll.
Tuesday’s rankings could change their standing, but none of the teams that were ahead of them last week lost over the weekend.
Sitake is in his 10th season at BYU with an 83-44 overall record. He has four double-digit win seasons in the past six years, including an 11-1 mark so far in 2025.
Penn State closed the regular season on a high note with three consecutive wins under interim head coach Terry Smith. The Nittany Lions are 6-6 overall, securing their fifth consecutive season with at least six victories.