Reports: BYU to name Sitake as 13th head football coach in program history

LAS VEGAS — Kalani Sitake has been named as the 13th head football coach of Brigham Young University, a source has confirmed to the Deseret News.

The news, which was first reported by the Deseret News’ Dick Harmon, comes after several rounds of interviews and a national coaching search that was surprisingly public given BYU’s position as a private religious institution. Athletic director Tom Holmoe placed a priority on each candidate’s ability to recruit in today’s college football landscape.

“Recruiting is a huge part these days,” Holmoe said a week ago. “Many years ago, all the LDS recruits would come to BYU. Now everyone wants LDS recruits, and you have to scrap to get them.

“Recruiting is a big part of it. A lot of the things that Bronco talked about are things we will look for: someone that understands the academic requirements, the Honor Code requirements and the physical requirements of being on this team. That’s a great candidate for us.”

Multiple sources confirmed to KSL the two sides were close to a deal, with Sitake potentially working on staff additions as late as Friday night, but no confirmation was available at that time. BYU has not officially confirmed the hiring, but an announcement could come as early as Saturday afternoon following BYU’s game against rival Utah in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl.

Sitake is just the fourth head coach since 1972 after LaVell Edwards filled that capacity for nearly 30 years and immediate predecessor Bronco Mendenhall was in for 11 years prior to Sitake’s appointment, accumulating a record of 99-42. Sitake is the first former player of the Edwards era to take the head coaching job; Mendenhall played college football at Snow College and Oregon State, and former BYU coach Gary Crowton, a 1983 BYU graduate and Orem High alum, did not play college football.

BYU is the first FBS head coaching job of Sitake’s career.

Sitake has helped guide two Pac 12 defenses at Utah and Oregon State, though his first-year unit struggled to a last-place finish in the Pac 12 in scoring defense (37 points per game), total defense (481.5 yards allowed per game) and rushing defense (225.5 yards allowed per game).

The 40-year-old Sitake played fullback at BYU and began his coaching career at Eastern Arizona College but quickly moved to his alma mater in 2002 to become a graduate assistant. After one season, Sitake took a job at Southern Utah for two years, serving as the Thunderbirds’ running backs and tight ends coach in 2003 and coaching the offensive line and tight ends in 2004.

He joined fellow BYU alumnus Kyle Whittingham’s staff at Utah in 2005 as a linebackers coach, and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2009 while adding the assistant head coaching title in 2012. Sitake’s final defense at Utah led the nation with 55 sacks in 2014 before joining former Utah State head coach Gary Andersen in Corvallis, Oregon as the assistant head coach.

A native of Nuku’alofa, Tonga, Sitake became the first native Tongan defensive coordinator in FBS history when Utah gave him the title six years ago and now becomes the first native Tongan to head a program in FBS history. The 40-year-old Sitake’s full name is Kelaokalani Fifita Sitake.

In his first season at Utah, he helped mentor three all-Mountain West selections and four NFL draft picks in the Utes’ defense, while also ranking in the top 25 in total defense, pass defense, scoring defense, pass efficiency defense and opponent third down conversions.

Sitake coached 11 all-conference honorees during his time at Utah, including Morris Trophy winner Star Lotulelei, who is currently with the Carolina Panthers.

BYU’s hiring of Sitake immediately opened a ground swell of former player support from the program and alumni group, including former running back and Philadelphia Eagles special teams ace Reno Mahe.

After graduating from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2000, Sitake spent one NFL season in Cincinnati after signing a free-agent deal with the Bengals before retiring from professional football with a back injury.

Sitake spent his childhood in Laie, Hawaii and Provo, and graduated from high school in St. Louis, Missouri. He and his wife Timberly are the parents of two daughters.

BYU met with a range of other candidates nationally, including Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo as late as Monday morning. Athletic director Tom Holmoe headed the coaching search, but each BYU coach is also approved by the university’s Board of Trustees, which includes members of the LDS Church’s Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

This article was originally published at KSL.com. It is used here with permission.