Kalani Sitake deserves more national recognition for what he's built at BYU

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BYU Cougars coach Kalani Sitake is everything a college football fan should. He is almost what many would dream of if they were creating one from scratch in the video game world. Yet his name is rarely mentioned at the top of the sport.

Before the season began, ESPN ranked the top coaches for the 2026 season. The expected cast of characters did make the list. Curt Cignetti, Kirby Smart, Ryan Day, Marcus Freeman, Dan Lanning, Steve Sarkisian, Lane Kiffin, Mike Elko, Mario Cristobal, Kalen DeBoer and even former Holy War coach Kyle Whittingham made the list.

College football, just like every other sport, has become a results-based business. You’re only as good as your record and the perceived direction of your program in the current NIL era. If that concept is remotely true, Sitake’s omission from this list andthe perception of the national media is something to question. Especially considering the lack of title success from programs like Ohio State, Oregon and Texas considering how often they are ranked in the top 5 nationally.

Having ties to a university is not necessarily a prerequisite to success. However, it is viewed as a bonus if a successful coach does have such ties. Sitake is as ingrained in BYU (and even Utah overall) as any modern coach is in any program. A former player and team captain over 25 years ago. He did start his coaching career with a few short stints in other locations like the NFL and Eastern Arizona College, but promptly returned to BYU in 2002.

After nine years at Utah and a stop at Oregon State, Sitake would be named the Cougars head coach in 2016. His first season at the helm resulted in nine wins. Except for 2017 and 2023, BYU under Sitake has been the measure of consistency. Not every season is playoff-worthy, but every one has had positive moments, stretches and almost always were some level of “good”.

Of his eleven seasons, Sitake’s Cougars have had 8 wins or more in six of those eleven seasons. The previously mentioned seasons (17 and 23) are the only two seasons in eleven years that did not see the Cougars in a bowl game. Within that same eleven-year span, he has four double-digit winning seasons. Two of those four have been the most recent two seasons. 2024 saw 11 wins and 2025 included 12 wins. BYU had a top 12 ranking heading into the last Playoff selection. Had it not been for the inclusion of Group of Five teams, BYU almost assuredly would have made that playoff field.

Kalani Sitake vs. the field

As the reigning National Champion coach, Sitake is closer to Cignetti than some of the bigger or well-known names on ESPN’s rankings. Names like Smart, Day, Lanning, Sarkisian and Kiffin often chase the highest rated players. Whereas Cignetti and Sitake tend to recruit players that fit what they want to do.

Sitake’s approach seems to be an exercise in balance. Unlike many head coaches, he is not beholden to a style or side of the ball. He leads tough, disciplined teams. Even the mission aspect of recruiting has become almost a superpower. Instead of seeing it as a possible negative to recruiting, Sitake has almost created a farm system of talent. Even promoting mission first.

Sitake does not lead with hype. He does not lean into offseason narratives. He does not worry much about outside voices or influences. He and his staff go to work. After the time put in at this point, it's difficult to even imagine a “bad” BYU team. The only question left is how far Sitake can take the Cougars.

Two reasons BYU is in a great position

There are two factors that should instill confidence in BYU’s future. The NIL landscape and outside interest. When NIL was just a concept, there was the notion that it would simply allow the big-name programs a limitless budget. Creating a larger gap between the haves and the have-nots. However, that is not how it has played out.

NIL shortens the competitive gap instead of widening it. BYU is exactly the program that should have concerned the SEC and Big Ten top programs. A landscape that says anyone can compete, who is willing to pay. Which should be viewed as problematic for the established powers that all but owned college football for the last three decades.

BYU’s reach is significant. The fanbase, from a perception standpoint, might be second to only one other fanbase with a significant faith-based backing in Notre Dame. Again, that could simply be a perception thing. According to BYU, the University has more than 400,000 living alumni. Notre Dame has 160,000. BYU has more living alumni in the state of Utah than Notre Dame has in the world, according to those numbers.

BYU could become a major player in this new NIL world. This past offseason, Sitake addressed the gap in operational assets and how they could better be utilized. Shortly thereafter, there was an organizational change in structure. Sitake will now report to the University vice president instead of the typical structure of being directly under athletic director Brian Santago

The other factor is outside interest, which Cougar fans have already stressed over. Even if it only lasted a few days. During the coaching carousel this offseason, Penn State set their sights on Sitake.

Those initial talks between the Nittany Lions and Sitake probably advanced further than Cougars fans would have liked, but the end result was the desired one. They spoke extensively enough to have discussions on staffing, but no agreement was ever reached in principle. Ultimately, Sitake chose to remain at BYU and signed a long-term extension. He even cited the “outpouring of love from BYU fans” as one of the reasons he chose to stay.

College football has seen several changes over the last five years and will continue changing. Despite those changes, Kalani Sitake is built for them. BYU as an institution is built for it. The fanbase and alumni have the numbers for it. Conceptually, if almost any Power Four program had a coaching vacancy, Sitake would be towards the top of their shortlist. However, at this stage of his career and the direction BYU is headed, it’s hard to imagine Sitake coaching for anyone else.