Suddenly, Kalani Sitake is the longest-tenured coach in the Big 12.
The jovial, fun-loving Tongan whose team is fresh off a 12-win season and a league championship appearance, is now the long-toothed grandpa of the league’s coaches.
Advertisement
What a run.
With Kyle Whittingham out of Utah for Michigan and Matt Campbell’s departure from Iowa State to Penn State, Sitake is wearing the stripes on his sleeve. He’s the old man of the turf.
This past week at Big 12 media days, after more than a decade at BYU, he’s still preaching the same sermon he did the day he was hired to replace Bronco Mendenhall. It begins with a name. Two words: LaVell Edwards.
Edwards is how he explains his tenure, his passion, his philosophy, culture, style and emphasis. With cameras rolling and recorders filling digital storage, Sitake repeats over and over again who he models his professional acumen after: LaVell Edwards.
Advertisement
While most preseason magazines and internet predictions rightfully have defending champion Texas Tech as the favorite to win the Big 12 football championship, two others, headed by writers at the Big 12’s media days last week, had BYU as the favorite. On3 Sports and Berry Tramel of the Tulsa World both did their own polls and prognostications and picked BYU.
A lot of that was because of Sitake and who he has returning on his roster and staff.
Even then, Sitake went out of his way to point out to reporters that neither he nor anyone else can accurately predict who will win the conference. He said there are too many good coaches, too many great venues and so many respectful football cultures being produced inside the league that any one team can defeat another on any given day.
“People make predictions and they’re wrong every time, so they stopped making predictions as a league; they don’t do it anymore.”
Advertisement
Sitake, like other coaches around the country, is facing a real challenge with mounting NIL coin thrown at players. Texas Tech is rumored to have a $40 million roster. LSU is simply throwing treasure chests around in Baton Rouge, and others are almost ridiculously paying players an unbelievable amount to play college ball just to keep up.
Sitake, however, in answering a question about a university policy to not necessarily be the highest bidder, said there are more important things on a football team and player’s life than money — or it should be that way.
“If it were all about money, we’d all be somewhere else, right?
That is what drove him to stay in Provo when Penn State came calling last November. Campbell answered that call, Sitake didn’t.
Advertisement
Sitake said he hopes that with so many players jumping in the transfer portal, they would hopefully realize that development is part of their journey.
“The goal is to see themselves five years from now, not just one. They need to focus on the longevity of it all rather than the instant gratification. So, I think that’s the goal, to teach these guys that discipline and sacrifice matter. You have to recruit to that.”
Sitake said part of his approach with players, and he had almost all his starters decide to return to his team, is to realize there are many forms of compensation. “If it’s about their checking account, we probably aren’t going to be the best place for you. I don’t know if that’s a good system, but that’s the one I want to work with at BYU.”
It sounds corny, but it is working for Sitake.
He’s playing the Edwards card, banking that the experience and relationships built on his team are worth something equal to or even more than the NIL money.
Advertisement
“I want to say, ‘Hey, what’s the value of having guys who will be your competition (for playing time), teach you the playbook and love you like you’re family?’ and (have them) realize that there are more levels to this than just what 11 guys get to be on the field at one time. That’s going to be the key.”
Sitake said all he can do is be himself and do what he feels comfortable with. He said the ideals passed on from the leaders of the school and the sponsoring church are his guidelines and his outline on how to act as a head coach. He hopes it trickles down to players.
“I can only do it my way and be myself. Even if I had all the money in the world to build a roster, I would still do it this way.”
Sitake said he doesn’t know if he wants to be the highest bidder.
Advertisement
“I have a program to protect, a culture to protect and on that, I can try to get young men to be their best selves. And if it’s about money, I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. If that was the answer to everything then, guys, we’d all be somewhere else. All of us. Nobody would be sitting here. So, the fact you guys do what your passion is, I want these young men to do something that they enjoy doing and the money will show up if you are passionate about it.
“If you go out every day and it doesn’t feel like a job, it feels like I’m building on my passion and my ambition is to be my best and players feel like that (and) can master that opportunity, then the money will show up. But compensation comes in different forms.“
Sitake is the old dog. He may stay the old dog.
If he follows LaVell, his decade will turn into two and then three.
Advertisement
He has no idea if he’ll be around that long, but he knows one thing: If he’s having fun, he’s keeping his passion and love for the game and those around him high; then he believes in his heart of hearts that there are many 11- and 12-win seasons on the horizon, and why not be a part of it?
This past week, Sitake had his star running back, the Big 12’s projected offensive player of the year, LJ Martin, actually give testament to the Sitake/Edwards way.
“He’s awesome. I talk about it all the time. Like, I felt more pressure in high school than I do in college, just because I wanted to perform so well. But now in college, honestly, it feels like games are just easier than practice.
“I’m out there watching the video board, watching Cosmo do stunts during water breaks and stuff like that. It’s pretty crazy. I just never thought football would be this fun at this stage. I’m just out there like a kid, enjoying the moment and enjoying everything that comes with it.”
Apparently, Martin and others are plugged into what Sitake is selling.
They may not be cashing in lottery tickets, but the circus ride is fun all the same.
BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake, waves his hat toward fans as he leaves the field after the Cougars 25-21 win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Pop Tarts Bowl in Orlando on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
