BYU football began the 2025 football season ranked 18th in the nation, and after going 5-0 to open the season, they remain there heading into Week 7.
This reflects the significant metamorphosis this team has undergone under the leadership of head coach Kalani Sitake. Now, Sitake’s success has sparked rumors that other teams are courting him, hoping he will bring that success to their team. Sitake spoke with the media about those rumors and his future in college football.
What Did Kalani Sitake Have To Say About the Rumors of His Leaving?
Sitake, who played for BYU himself, is the first Tongan to become an NCAA football coach. After his NFL career came to an abrupt and early end because of a back injury, Sitake transitioned into coaching.
Since 2001, he has been with several teams, including Utah and Oregon State, before being hired at his alma mater in 2016. Since arriving in Provo, Sitake has helped the Cougars show significant improvement.
BYU extended his contract in late 2024, and it has paid off for the team as they are currently atop the Big 12 conference, tied with Texas Tech. That’s why it is not surprising that other teams might be looking to hire Sitake away from the Cougars.
In particular, UCLA was mentioned after they fired their head coach, DeShaun Foster. Sitake himself addressed those rumors while talking to analyst Jim Rome on “The Jim Rome Show.”
“The goal before we even started the season was to avoid distractions, and they can come in a lot of different ways. If we’re doing things the right way, then we’re going to have people talking about myself and other coaches on our staff getting other opportunities and jobs,” acknowledged Sitake about the rumors that he was being courted by UCLA.
“The truth is we already addressed it from the very beginning. I don’t have to keep going back and talking about things. We have goals and things that we want to accomplish this year and it doesn’t get us anywhere near it if we’re sitting there leaning to other things, giving attention to other things. Right now, we have to be hyper-focused on one thing, and that’s being the best that we can,” added Sitake.
The 49-year-old said that he knew when BYU moved to the Big 12 in 2023, nothing would be easy. It was a significant step forward in competition level, and Sitake said they have to keep their eyes on their opponents and not on the noise surrounding them.
According to PFSN’s CFB Offense Impact metric, BYU has a grade of B- and is ranked 40th out of all college teams for the season. The Defense Impact metric yields a grade of B, ranking BYU 19th for the 2025 season.
BYU will travel to Tucson to face the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 8 p.m.
Journalism is a tough gig. Facts matter, and when wrong the writer injures him/herself in the credibility category.
Umm , the University of Arizona is and always has been in Tucson ( not Flagstaff). Any seasoned sports reporter should know that. Not sure where you came up with that city ! NAU is in Flagstaff.