New BYU director of athletics Brian Santiago isn’t wasting any time in his attempts to further galvanize his worldwide constituency.
Santiago, who was named the school’s AD on May 13 after serving as outgoing AD Tom Holmoe’s Deputy AD since 2017, penned a letter to “Cougar Nation” that was emailed to BYU fans, boosters and supporters on Tuesday night.
Santiago opened the letter by mentioning he could have never imagined when he was a youngster “running around BYU’s campus” that one day he would “have the privilege of leading BYU Athletics.”
He said the opportunity is “deeply personal” and BYU “means so much” to him and his family.
He also took the opportunity to express thanks to Holmoe, who became BYU’s AD in 2005. Holmoe promoted Santiago, who began his career at BYU on the men’s basketball coaching staff in 1997, to senior associate AD in 2008.
“His visionary leadership has built an extraordinary foundation — one rooted in faith, integrity and competitive excellence,” Santiago said of Holmoe, who was named the NACDA Athletic Director of the Year after the 2020-21 athletic year and earned the John L. Toner Award from the National Football Foundation in 2023.
While Santiago inherits an athletic department that has experienced unprecedented success the past few years, he has also been thrust into a difficult situation recently with the allegations of sexual assault from a civil lawsuit filed last week against BYU’s starting quarterback, Jake Retzlaff.
Santiago did not mention that challenge in his letter, but did write that these are “truly unprecedented times in college athletics” in this day and age of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) payments to athletes, the transfer portal, and most recently the House Settlement that will likely bring more revenue sharing with college athletes.
BYU has approximately 550 student-athletes across 21 varsity sports teams.
The letter includes many of the thoughts that Santiago expressed on May 14 in a news conference at the BYU Broadcasting building on campus — that he will focus on the spiritual, physical and emotional well-being of the student-athletes who represent the school and do things the “BYU Way.”
Here’s the complete letter:
“Dear Cougar Nation,
As a seven-year-old boy running around BYU’s campus, I never could have imagined that one day I would have the privilege of leading BYU Athletics. This opportunity is deeply personal, and I’m honored and grateful to continue a journey with people I love and admire, at a place that means so much to me and my family.
I want to express heartfelt gratitude to my friend and mentor, Tom Holmoe. His visionary leadership has built an extraordinary foundation — one rooted in faith, integrity and competitive excellence. BYU Athletics is stronger, more unified and better prepared for the future. As I’ve said many times over the past few weeks, there’s never been a better time to be a part of BYU.
We find ourselves in truly unprecedented times in collegiate athletics. With the rise of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and revenue sharing, the landscape is shifting rapidly. Thanks to the generosity of Cougar Nation, the leadership and governance of the Church and the tireless efforts of the dedicated, talented individuals in our athletics department, we are in a position of real strength. We will continue to focus on recruiting excellent student-athletes who come to BYU because of the unique, holistic experience that helps them grow academically, spiritually, professionally and athletically. We must stay competitive in the NIL/revenue share space, and we will do so while being fully aligned with our values, not being the highest bidder. For those who embrace our mission and values, there’s no better place than BYU to develop, compete and prepare for a bright future.
Through it all, our commitment is clear: we will strive for excellence, but we will do it the right way—the BYU Way. President Reese has invited us to have the “courage to be different.” We will succeed as an athletics program precisely because of our alignment with BYU’s mission and values.
Here is what the BYU Way means to me: Our world class student-athletes will strive to be women and men of integrity, humility and faith. They will compete with sportsmanship and honor, respecting opponents, officials and the game. They will pursue excellence in their sports, the classroom, in service to others and the development of their faith.
Our coaches will be examples of Christian discipleship who build programs rooted in love, discipline, trust and hard work. They will strive for competitive excellence while fostering spiritual growth and personal development in their athletes—helping them to achieve greatness both in sport and in life.
Our athletics administration and support staff will provide unwavering support to our athletic programs in alignment with BYU’s mission, creating an environment where student-athletes can thrive spiritually, academically and competitively. We will continue to deliver an exceptional fan experience for both Cougar Nation and visiting fans, while providing best-in-class content creation, social media, communications and broadcasting.
We ask Cougar fans to continue to support BYU with enthusiasm and respect, to represent the mission and values of BYU in every venue, both home and away, and to exemplify the spirit of the Y.
Cougar Nation, you are the best fan base in the world, and it is an honor to be on this journey with you. I want to get to know you better and for you to get to know me and our amazing athletic programs better.
Let’s keep building. Let’s keep believing. Let’s keep climbing, together.
The future is ours.
Let’s go!
— Brian Santiago, Director of Athletics"