BYU coach Kalani Sitake removes name from Penn State coaching search, per source
Penn State will have to move on from the top remaining target in its coaching search.
BYU head coach Kalani Sitake informed the Nittany Lions on Tuesday afternoon that he would be staying with the Cougars, according to a source. He was widely seen as the Nittany Lions’ top target this week, but multiple reports also indicated BYU donors were making a late push to keep him.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported the news on X.
Sitake was in the Nittany Lions’ top group after initially interviewing with them early in the process. He has the Cougars at 11-1 with a matchup Saturday against Texas Tech for the Big 12 title.
Penn State was initially expected to announce the Sitake hire this weekend or early next week, but an announcement could now potentially come sooner.
The NIttany Lions are in the process of replacing former head coach James Franklin who was fired on Oct. 12 and has since been hired by Virginia Tech.
This story was originally published December 2, 2025 at 5:15 PM.
