Kalani Sitake, as of this moment, is the new favorite in the Penn State coaching search.
On3 Sports reported Monday evening that Sitake is “emerging as the top target” for Penn State, and Nittany Sports Now can confirm that.
Whether or not this comes into fruition remains to be seen, but it’s Dec. 1, and Penn State’s talks with the BYU boss have intensified, meaning it’s a strong possibility, at least.
Coaching Search Update: Talks With Penn State, Kalani Sitake Intensify
The general thought that Penn State fans have of Sitake is that he’s
A. A great coach
B. A curious fit from a cultural standpoint.
Sitake has BYU one win away from winning the Big 12 in just its third season in the conference.
He’s also spent his entire college coaching career in either Utah, Oregon or Arizona, none of which are close to Pennsylvania.
As with all candidates, there are reasons why Penn State should, and shouldn’t, hire Kalani Sitake.
Here’s a breakdown of each.
WHY PENN STATE SHOULD HIRE SITAKE
CINCINNATI, OH – NOVEMBER 22: BYU Cougars Head Coach Kalani Sitake looks on during the college football game between the BYU Cougars and the Cincinnati Bearcats on November 22, 2025, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire)
The biggest reason Penn State should hire Sitake is that he’s a winner. His 10-year run as BYU’s head coach hasn’t been perfect– as evidenced by a 4-9 record in 2017 and a 5-7 record in 2023. But overall, he’s 83-44, and over the last two seasons, BYU has won 22 games and lost only three.
This year has been particularly impressive. After starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff withdrew from the University over the summer, it looked like the Cougars might be in trouble. Instead, BYU finished the regular season 11-1 and is one game away from going to the College Football Playoff.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Sitake is also known for being maybe the nicest coach in the country, with BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Rodreick calling him the “Ted Lasso of college football coaches.”
“He’s so positive all the time,” Roderick told the Deseret News in 2022. “Our players love playing for him and coming into the building every day. Practice is fun and meetings are fun. He’s created such a fun environment to play and coach in.”
“Kalani is brilliant. He’s really smart and he knows what he’s doing. He’s not just a cheerleading heart and soul culture guy. He executes his plan to perfection and I’m really, really fortunate to work with him”.
But as with all candidates, there are some questions.
WHY PENN STATE SHOULDN’T HIRE KALANI SITAKE
PROVO, UT – OCTOBER 18: Brigham Young Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake talkes to referees during a game between the Utah Utes and BYU Cougars on October 18, 2025, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Boyd Ivey/Icon Sportswire)
The biggest problem with this potential hire is the fit. Sitake has never played or coached in Pennsylvania, so his ability to resonate with recruits from the state– or, for that matter, from anywhere in the region– is fair to question. There have been examples in the past of winning head coaches being unsuccessful at a new stop where the fit was a question.
Think Lincoln Riley at USC. Riley grew up in Texas and spent most of his first 14 of his first 10 seasons coaching in either Texas or Oklahoma. When USC hired Riley after the 2021 season, it was fair to wonder exactly how the fit would work out. Now, through four seasons, Riley’s USC run hasn’t been a disaster (He’s 35-17 overall), but, aside from Caleb Williams’ 2022 Heisman Trophy run, USC hasn’t finished in the top 25.
Up until USC’s 2026 Class, USC struggled to recruit the state of California. For the Class of 2025, USC only landed five players from the state, fewer than Alabama (7).
If it took Penn State four years to figure out in-state recruiting, how would people handle that, and what effect would it have on the program?
The good news is that Penn State has other coaches currently on staff to help with this. Current interim head coach Terry Smith, defensive line coach Deion Barnes and linebackers coach Dan Connor are all former Penn State players who played in the state, so if they can be kept around, any of them would be a great resource. With that said, Sitake also has his own coaching staff, and there’s only so many positions available. Even if Sitake does want to keep Smith, Barnes or Connor on staff– and even if athletic director Pat Kraft tells him to– there’s also the issue of James Franklin needing to fill out his staff at Virginia Tech. How many of Franklin’s Penn State staff will decide to go with him is a big question.
The Penn State coaching search is still ongoing, and Nittany Sports Now will have more updates when they are available.
