BYU coach Kalani Sitake led the No. 11 Cougars to a comprehensive 41-21 win over the UCF Knights in Week 14 of college football action. The win closed out an 11-1 regular season for the Cougars and booked their place in the Big 12 championship game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
After an impressive season by the Cougars, Sitake’s name was thrown into the coaching carousel, and the BYU coach was linked to the Penn State Nittany Lions job that has been vacant since James Franklin was fired last month.
Analyst Questions Kalani Sitake’s Fit With Penn State
During this week’s segment of the “Locked on Nittany Lions” podcast, analyst Zach Seyko broke down the reasons why Sitake would not make an ideal Penn State coach.
“Kalani Sitake is the other alleged mystery candidate. Sitake is their version of Terry Smith, because he bleeds BYU. He’s BYU through and through. He’s an alumnus, he played there, and he’s been a coach there forever. If Josh Heupel doesn’t fit for Penn State due to geographical concerns, then Kalani Sitake really doesn’t fit either.
“No news is bad news at this point, because other schools are making their hires and Penn State is the only other major superpower without a coach at this point. As good as Sitake is as a coach and as a leader of men, Sitake making this move to Penn State would be the antithesis of just that.”
Seyko then named three ideal candidates for the Penn State job, including former New York Jets coach Brian Daboll, Ohio State Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and James Madison Dukes coach Bob Chesney.
“These candidates offer you the most upside. Brian Hartline, we’re back here,” Seyko said. “Brian Daboll, yes, he can elevate you and Bob Chesney. Is he strategically waiting for Penn State to not get any of these deals done?”
Penn State’s interim coach, Terry Smith, who has campaigned vigorously for the job, led the Nittany Lions to bowl eligibility after a thrilling 40-36 win over Rutgers in Week 14.
Josh Pate Analyzes Sitake’s Link to Nittany Lions
During Sunday’s segment of “Pate State,” CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate analyzed the Nittany Lions’ links to BYU’s Sitake and why it might not be a good move for both parties.
“We think they’re meeting with Kalani Sitake, who is the head coach at BYU,” Pate said. “This has been pretty widely reported in Penn State circles. I have no clue how advanced their talks have been with him. I have no idea if he’d be a fit.
“He’s never lived close to that part of the country. He’s never recruited over there. It could be oil and water, it could be a great fit, I have no idea. I don’t even know how interested he is. I am pretty sure he would want to coach in the Big 12 Championship Game this week.”
The Sitake to Happy Valley rumors have come at a pivotal time for BYU, as according to PFSN’s College Football Playoff Meter, the Cougars have a 36.8% chance of clinching a berth in college football’s showcase event and an equal chance of winning the Big 12 championship game.