BYU Cougars head football coach Kalani Sitake received a significant honor on Wednesday.
The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced its 2025 class, and Sitake is in the three-man field. He is joined by another figure with Utah ties — former Ute and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Chris Kemoeatu — as well as former Michigan State, Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Jim Nicholson.
The trio was selected from a group of nine finalists and joins the likes of Ken Niumatalolo, Junior Seau, Luther Elliss, Troy Polamalu, Vai Sikahema, Ma’ake Kemoeatu, Haloti Ngata and Manti Te’o.
The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2014.
“On behalf of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, it is our great honor to recognize and celebrate the Class of 2025,” said Jesse Sapolu, chairman, co-founder and inductee in a statement. “These men embody the spirit of Polynesia and have left an enduring mark on the game of football.”
In his ninth season as head coach at BYU, Sitake has tallied a 71-43 record. He was the first FBS head football coach of Tongan descent. He was also a player in BYU’s football program from 1994-2000 and becomes the fourth former Cougar player to be inducted, joining Kurt Gouveia (2014), Sikahema (2016) and Reno Mahe (2024).
As for Kemoeatu, he played at Utah in the early 2000s and was an All-American in 2004. He then played for the Steelers from 2005-2011, where he won the Super Bowl twice.
Sitake, Kemoeatu and Nicholson will be inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Jan. 18 at the hall’s home, the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii.
As is the custom, the ceremony will be part of the Polynesian Bowl festivities that week, which will feature some of the best high school football players of Polynesian descent from around the country.