There’s been some recent buzz surrounding Kalani Sitake’s future at BYU — namely, his potential candidacy for the head coaching vacancy at Penn State, according to multiple reports.
Additionally, various oddsmakers and online betting markets this past weekend listed Sitake as a favorite to get the job in Happy Valley.
During Monday’s press conference previewing the Big 12 championship game this weekend, Sitake received a handful of questions regarding the Penn State rumors, but elected to avoid any specifics on the matter.
However, he did offer a lengthy comment when asked how he handles such developments and outside chatter with his team.
“I have to address it, the world is small now and people can see stuff on social media and everything,” Sitake said. “... So yeah, I’ll address it, but also, they’re used to me saying, ‘Hey, (coaching rumors are) a good sign that things are going well for us.’
“But I will say that this isn’t about me. What I’ve asked our team to do is to be focused on what we’re trying to accomplish. There are marks of finishers and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to finish the season the right way, it’s on us to be our best to play against Texas Tech. So as we go through this week and go through the prep, I also want them to live through all the moments and have a great experience and not waste a moment thinking about anything else.
Sitake later continued, “... This is a great distraction to have, let’s be honest. But you know, right now we need to be focused on making sure that we’re giving our best shot in this game against Texas Tech.”
This past July, Sitake was named a senior associate athletic director at BYU in addition to his responsibilities leading the football program.
“I think the role came because I have a great relationship with our president (Shane Reese), our vice president (Keith Vorkink), and our athletic director (Brian Santiago),” Sitake said. “So the relationships have been amazing for me, but you know, I don’t know if I bring much to the table other than my perspective and the effort that I can give.
“But other than that, I think there’s very capable people here at BYU, and I’m just proud and honored that they would give me a voice.”
When asked by Deseret News reporter Jay Drew if he was happy about how BYU had treated him and his coaching staff financially, Sitake offered a more lighthearted response.
“I mean, I’ve gained weight. You can tell,” Sitake said. “I’m living a good life. And then the more (Texas Tech head coach) Joey (McGuire) buys dinner for me, the better my life will get.”
The Cougars and Red Raiders will face off Saturday at 10 a.m. MST at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. With a win, BYU would clinch an automatic College Football Playoff berth.
In the first meeting this season between BYU and Texas Tech, the Cougars fell 29-7 in Lubbock.