penn state The coaching search, which has cooled off in the past few weeks, has focused on BYU Coach Kalani Sitake, sources told ESPN on Monday.
The two sides are in discussions, but sources cautioned that no agreement has been signed yet. The two parties have met and discussed matters of mutual interest, including staffing and other details of Sitake’s potential tenure at State College.
No. 11 BYU plays against No. 5 on Saturday texas tech In the Big 12 title game, the winner earned an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff. On3 first reported Sitake as Penn State’s top target.
Sitake has been BYU’s coach since 2016 and has won over 65% of his games. He led BYU to an 11-2 mark in 2024, and the Cougars are 11-1 this year. This is BYU’s third season in the Big 12, and the transition to becoming one of the league’s top teams has been almost immediate.
Penn State officials were active early in their coaching search, which included numerous in-person meetings across the country. Sources said this activity has subsided in recent weeks, even as candidates found new jobs and others received new contracts to stay at their schools.
According to sources, BYU officials have been aggressive in trying to retain Sitake and consider him a top priority for the athletic department.
BYU plays a style that is familiar from the Big Ten, featuring strong linemen and a power game that in recent years has been complemented by a creative passing offense.
This week, Sitake called reports linking him to the jobs “a good sign” because it means “things are going well for us.”
james franklin Was fired by Penn State in October After going 104-45 in 12 seasons. Franklin’s departure came after three consecutive defeats at the start of league play. He led Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinals in January 2025.
Sitake has won at least 10 games in four of his last six seasons at BYU. After going 2-7 in conference play while aligning with the Big 12 in 2023, BYU has gone 15-3 over the last two years and has found its quarterback of the future in a true newcomer bear bachmeyer,
Sitake has no coaching experience east of the Mountain Time Zone. He was an assistant coach at BYU, Oregon State, utah, southern utah and eastern Arizona.
Sitake, who played high school football at Missouri, played at BYU before signing with cincinnati bengals in 2001.
He is BYU’s fourth head coach since his mentor LaVell Edwards took over in 1972.
