HOUSTON — BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake was today named one of 27 candidates being considered for the 2024 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award.
Presented by the American Heart Association and the Bryant family, the award is given each January to a college football coach whose contributions make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life — both on and off the field.
In additon, Sitake was also named Midseason Big 12 Coach of the Year on Wednessday by College Football Network.
In his ninth year at BYU and 24th overall season as a college football coach, Sitake leads the program he once played for under legendary College Football Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards. A former Cougar running back (1994, 1997-2000), Sitake guided BYU to a 61-41 overall record during his first eight seasons (2016-23) at the helm and has led the Cougars to a 6-0 start and No. 13 national ranking in 2024.
Sitake is the first FBS head football coach of Tongan descent as well as the first former player under Edwards to be named head coach at BYU. He led the Cougars from the ranks of FBS independent to membership in the Big 12 Conference in 2023. As an independent football program, Sitake guided BYU to P5 wins over Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Tennessee, USC, Utah, Washington State and Wisconsin, including a 29-9 record during the final three seasons of independence from 2020-22. Sitake was named to the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list in 2020 and also recognized as an Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award Finalist and George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year Award Semifinalist in 2020 and 2021.
The winner of the 39th annual Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award will be announced live on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, from the Post Oak Hotel in Houston, during an awards ceremony presented by Marathon Oil. The National Sports Media Association, the Bryant Awards’ Executive Leadership Team and the Bryant Family vote on the watch list, finalists and Coach of the Year recipient.