SOUTHAMPTON, Pa. — The Maxwell Football Club today named BYU head coach Kalani Sitake a semifinalist for the prestigious George Munger Award, which recognizes the college football coach of the year. The award honors exceptional leadership, dedication and the team's success exhibited throughout the season.
Sitake, who was previously honored as the 2024 American Football Coaches Association FBS Region 4 Coach of the Year, has guided the Cougars to a 10-2 record and a No. 17 national ranking. He is one of just 18 semifinalist for the George Munger Award.
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 hall of fame coach LaVell Edwards. A former Cougar running back (1994, 1997-2000), Sitake has guided BYU to a 71-43 overall record during his first nine seasons (2016-24), including double-digit wins in three of the last five years.
Early this season, Sitake was also named to the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award Watchlist and the Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List. He was also named Midseason Big 12 Coach of the Year by College Football Network.
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.
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. He then led BYU into its first season In the Big 12 Conference in 2023.
Sitake was recognized as a George Munger Award semifinalist in 2020 and 2021 and was also an Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award finalist both years.
The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is one of the oldest football organizations of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels.
Finalists for the 2024 George Munger Award will be named on Dec. 24, with the winner being announced on Jan. 9, 2025. The formal presentation of the George Munger Coach of the Year Award will be held on March 14, 2025 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.