HONOLULU — The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced today that BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake will be one of three individuals inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame on January 18, 2025, in a ceremony held at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii.
Sitake, who is of Tongan ancestry, joins Jim Nicholson of Samoan ancestry and Chris Kemoeatu also of Tongan ancestry in the 2025 hall of fame class. The three inductees were selected from a list of nine finalists.
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 has guided BYU to a 71-43 overall record during his nine seasons, including a 10-2 record in 2024, finishing Big 12 play at 7-2 in a four-way tie for first place atop the conference standings. He has led BYU to a No. 18 national ranking in 2024, becoming one of just 18 schools among the 134 FBS teams to register double-digit victories in the 2024 regular season.
In mid-November, the American Football Coaches Association named Sitake its 2024 Region 4 Coach of the Year. Early in the season, he was also named to the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award Watchlist and the Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List.
In 2015, Sitake became 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 currently has the ninth-best winning percentage among FBS coaches with a 44-18 (.710) record since 2020. Sitake is also one of just eight active FBS head coaches with three seasons of 10-plus wins over the last five seasons.
Sitake was 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. He was also named to the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award watch list in 2020.
The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame honors Polynesia’s greatest players, coaches, and contributors. Its permanent home is located at the Polynesian Cultural Center and was established in 2013 by Super Bowl Champions Jesse Sapolu and Ma’a Tanuvasa.
Sitake joins three other former BYU players who were previously inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, including Kurt Gouveia (2014), Vai Sikahema (2016) and Reno Mahe (2024).