KANSAS CITY — Five months ago, some bombshell news absolutely rocked what BYU fans like to refer to as Cougar Nation.
Star quarterback Jake Retzlaff, who had boldly stated in early April that one of his goals for the 2025 football season was to be invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York City in December, was the focus of a civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault on May 21 that has since been dismissed at the request of both parties.
The news, which would ultimately result in Retzlaff withdrawing from BYU in the face of a seven-game suspension and landing at Tulane, reverberated through the halls and offices of the entire school, but especially on the third floor of the Student Athlete Building, where new athletic director Brian Santiago had been on the job for a week.
Dreams of a special football season, led by an experienced, dual-threat senior quarterback, were put on life support.
“It is definitely a challenge that has popped up,” Santiago said at the Big 12 football media days on July 8 in Frisco, Texas. Having been hired on May 13 to move over an office at the SAB and replace Tom Holmoe as BYU’s AD, Santiago also expressed his faith and confidence in 10-year head football coach Kalani Sitake and his staff, and promised BYU fans that the football program would find a new on-field leader and continue the team’s winning ways.
Turns out, the 55-year-old Santiago proved to be prophetic.
With Retzlaff’s replacement, freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier, leading BYU to a 7-0 record, a rivalry win over Utah, and a No. 11 ranking in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, the football program has barely skipped a beat.
The Deseret News caught up with Santiago at the Big 12 basketball media days Wednesday, and the football team’s success was obviously top of mind, along with huge expectations for coach Kevin Young’s basketball team — picked No. 8 in the preseason AP poll and seen by many national prognosticators as a possible Final Four team.
“You have heard me say it once or twice — there’s never been a better time to be part of BYU than right now,” Santiago said at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
With Santiago approaching the six-month mark of his tenure in mid-November, he spoke at length about what it has been like to replace Holmoe, and outlined his vision for the next six months.
Here are some of the highlights of the conversation; some of the responses have been edited for clarity and brevity:
Santiago remains a big Jake Retzlaff fan
“The first thing I want to say is how excited we are to see Jake Retzlaff having success. Jake did a lot for our program, and he’s a great kid, and he’s down there having great success at Tulane, and we’re all excited about it,” Santiago said. “When he left, we gave each other a hug and I literally said to him, ‘We cheering so loud for you. We want you to go fly. We want you to go and have great success.’”
Tulane is 6-1 and 3-0 in the American Conference. Retzlaff has completed 61% of his passes for 1,428 yards and six touchdowns, with just one interception. He’s also rushed for 450 yards and eight touchdowns for a Group of Five team that is still alive to make the College Football Playoff.
Like everyone, Santiago is bullish on Bear
“It’s hard to imagine that you have someone like Bear step in as a true freshman and really just lead out. What an exceptional job he’s doing. It says a lot about the culture of our football program and the culture that Kalani (Sitake) has built, that you can have that situation arise. Nobody could have predicted that we were going to be 7-0, but in the face of all the stressful situations in a game and in a season, Bear just continues to step up and say, ‘Hey, I’m here, and we’re going to do this together, and I’m going to find ways into the end zone. I mean, it’s incredible.”
On the 19-year-old Bachmeier becoming the face of the program in such a short time
“I just smile sometimes and say wow. Like, you can’t script this stuff. Who knows how it’ll play out the rest of the way (beginning Saturday at Iowa State). But I’m fully confident. Let’s ride with Bear, and let’s see where it goes and hopefully things continue and the ball continues to bounce our way.
“But I’m super impressed with not only Bear, but our whole program and the culture. Bear is such a good, down-to-earth human being. He’s so respectful. He’s thinking way outside of himself. I mean, you see him get in the end zone. He turns around, he’s handing the ball to one of our offensive linemen (to celebrate).
“And then you see what he does in his private time, going out and blessing other people and singing and playing his guitar with his brother (Tiger) at a senior center. It is so much bigger than sport. If we’re going to be in this business, let’s go make a difference in the world. To see our athletes leading out, it’s just super impressive.”
On the burden of replacing the legendary Tom Holmoe
“I miss Tom. When you’re with someone for 20 years, side by side, it is tough to not have that (daily interaction). I’m grateful that he’s still close so we can catch up. I was involved in a lot of things, but when you’re in the No. 2 chair, you have a lot more flexibility with your time.
“The places that I have to physically be at, the Big 12 meetings and meetings on campus and events almost every night, which is all part of it, which is great, but I wasn’t ready for the fact that I lost control of my own calendar. A lot of my calendar is put together for me just based on places that I have to be. But so grateful for the opportunity, so grateful to be at a university that represents so much good. I feel a lot of gratitude.”
On the success of the marquee programs, football and men’s basketball
“I am grateful because I get to do this with some of the best people on Planet Earth. There are no two coaches, and I could go all the way down the list with all of our sports, but there are no two coaches in all of college sports that I’d rather go to battle with every day than Kalani Sitake and Kevin Young.
“Who they are, the way they handle their business, is so impressive. They’re always going to have our teams prepared. We’re going to chase greatness together. We’re going to chase dreams together, but they’re going to do it the BYU way. And so it’s been an interesting process moving into the AD chair. I feel like I had a good feel for it, but you never really know until you’re in the chair. There’s been a lot to (deal with) the first four or five months, but the joy I feel every day doing this with people I love is awesome.”
On the months ahead for BYU basketball, No. 1 recruit AJ Dybantsa
“I believe in this team, and I believe in their ability to chase greatness and live up to expectations, because I have 100% confidence and trust in Kevin Young. … Our team is going to play great basketball, and there may be some bumps in the road. I’m totally OK with it, because I know that it’s a process.
“Any time you’re bringing all these new players in together, it’s always a process to get them to play right and play the game united and for one another. But you heard AJ talk about the one word that describes BYU basketball. He said unselfish. And I think that’s the key, is if they’ll play for each other, they can be great.
“One of AJ’s greatest attributes is he is one of the most unselfish players on the floor, and he makes everyone else better. Then all of a sudden, they are all playing unselfish basketball. They can chase their dreams.
“I’m not afraid of expectations, nor is Kevin. It is the same thing I feel about our football program. I don’t get nervous before the games because I know our team is going to be prepared, and I know we’re going to play the game the right way, and we’re going to have some bumps, but I just have full confidence in the leadership and full confidence in this team that he’s put together. It is a talented, talented group, and they’ve got great character.
“I’ll say it 100 times. People need to get their surfboards out and jump on the wave and see what’s going to happen. We’re going to see things we’ve never seen before and I’m excited to see how it plays out.”
