Penn State proved unable to lure Kalani Sitake away from BYU to fill their head coaching vacancy. Sitake emerged as Penn State’s top coaching target earlier this week, but Sitake instead elected to remain the head coach of his alma mater with him and BYU agreeing to a contract extension on Tuesday.
“If I’m being honest, I just wanted to be here a long [time],” Sitake said.
While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Sitake expressed gratitude toward the school, his family and fans on multiple occasions. He was touched by the outpouring of support from fans after reports of Penn State’s interest emerged.
“I wanted to express my love to all the fans,” Sitake said, before pausing as emotion set in. “My wife said the last day or so was probably one of her favorites. She called it a ‘love bomb’ from all the fans.
"It's hard to leave when you have something so special and you have amazing people that support us.”
By Sitake signing his extension and quickly re-committing to the program, BYU can now completely focus on the opening of the early signing period on Wednesday and their upcoming matchup against Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game, rather than worry about whether their coach is leaving.
“I’m really grateful to be around amazing fans,” Sitake said. “Quit all the drama. I’m here. People don’t need to stop in the middle of the road to yell at me to stay, it’s not safe. There was a student that sat out here by my parking spot with a sign. I asked him how long he’d been there, and he said a couple of hours. He had no idea when I was gonna be there. I gave him a hug and took a picture with him. The fans all over the place, it’s super special.”
Since taking over the Cougars in 2016, Sitake has guided BYU to an 83–44 overall record and an 11–1 record this season. They’re currently No. 11 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and will secure a spot in the playoff with a win on Saturday. He’s not only found success with the program, but has clearly touched the community in Provo, Utah. It’s not hard to see why BYU rallied to keep him with the Cougars.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kalani Sitake Had Heartwarming Statement After Deciding to Stay at BYU Over Penn State.
