PROVO, Utah – BYU director of athletics Tom Holmoe announced Saturday the university and head coach Kalani Sitake have agreed to a long-term contract extension that will keep Sitake as the leader of the Cougars’ football program well into the future.
“I’m thrilled to announce a long-term agreement to extend Kalani Sitake as BYU’s Head Football Coach,” said Holmoe. “In his nine years at the helm of the Cougs, Kalani has created a culture that fits the mission of Brigham Young University and our sponsoring institution—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kalani builds strong connections with our football student athletes that help them grow and develop as players on the field, and, more importantly, he helps strengthen our men for their lives after football. Kalani’s signing signals his loyalty to a program he has poured much of his life into as a young fan, a player and our head coach. With college football experiencing so many recent changes, it’s good to know we will have a consistent leader for a long time in Kalani Sitake.
Sitake, whose previously announced contract in 2021 ran through the 2027 season, was named 2024 AFCA Region 4 Coach of the Year and a finalist for AFCA National Coach of the Year after leading the Cougars to their third double-digit victory season in the last five years with a 10-2 regular season and a 7-2 conference record as one of four teams to finish atop the 2024 Big 12 standings.
“I am grateful for the continued confidence and support I receive in my role leading the BYU football program from President Shane Reese, Vice President Keith Vorkink, Athletic Director Tom Holmoe and Deputy AD Brian Santiago,” said Sitake. “I have said this many times, but before I became the coach at BYU, I was first a Cougar fan and then a player here. We have the best fans in the world. I remain humbled to be the head coach at this great university and believe in its mission. I love the outstanding young men, coaches and staff we have in our program, and I’m excited about the opportunities we have ahead competing in the Big 12 Conference.”
Since taking over the program in 2016, Sitake guided BYU from the ranks of FBS independents to membership in the Big 12 Conference the past two seasons while earning a career record of 71-43 (.623) through nine seasons. Posting a 29-9 record during BYU’s final three seasons of independence from 2020-2022, Sitake was named an Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award Finalist and George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year Award Semifinalist in back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021.
In leading the Cougars to a four-way tie atop the 2024 conference standing in BYU’s second season in the Big 12, Sitake’s teams have not only achieved double-digit victories in three of the last five seasons (11-1 in 2020 and 10-3 in 2021) but also posted a combined 44-18 (.710) record to give Sitake the ninth-best winning percentage currently among all FBS coaches in that timeframe.
BYU’s accomplishments during Sitake’s tenure have also come against some of the toughest competition in the program’s history. In 2024, BYU earned a College Football Power Index Strength of Record ranking of No. 12 nationally, with eight wins over power conference opponents, including a road win at SMU to give the current No. 8-ranked Mustangs of the ACC their lone loss of the regular season. During BYU’s tenure in independence, Sitake helped the Cougars achieve notable wins over Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi State, USC, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Arizona State, Arizona, Utah, Washington State, Baylor and Boise State, among others.
Sitake has also championed a program culture founded on love and learning. His emphasis on the overall development of his players on and off the field has included BYU’s Built4Life career development program, which is designed to support BYU student-athletes in developing critical life skills, facilitating professional development opportunities and connecting classroom learning directly to relevant employment opportunities. Additionally, Sitake has helped mentor 33 NFL Draft picks during his overall 24-year coaching career, including 13 Cougars since becoming the head coach.
As BYU’s 14th head coach, Sitake is just the fourth to lead the BYU football program since 1972 when Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards took the helm. Under those four coaches—Edwards, Gary Crowton, Bronco Mendenhall and Sitake—BYU ranks No. 8 in total wins since 1972 with 453. Sitake, who is the first former player under Edwards to serve as BYU’s head coach, has led the Cougars to a 4-2 bowl record entering this year’s postseason matchups, which will be announced Sunday.
A former Cougar fullback, Sitake first came to BYU as player in 1994 before serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oakland, California. After returning and redshirting in 1997, Sitake was a three-year starter at fullback for the Cougars from 1998-2000. A team captain as a senior, Sitake’s last game as a player was also the last game coached by the legendary Edwards, who was a great mentor for Sitake.
Born in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, and raised in Laie, Hawai’i and Provo, Utah, Sitake is the nation’s first FBS head football coach of Tongan descent. Earlier this week the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced Sitake will be inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame on January 18, 2025.
Sitake graduated from BYU in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in English. He and his wife Timberly have four children.