The search at Penn State is headed for another rather interesting turn.
Yesterday we broke the news that talks were heating up between BYU's Kalani Sitake and Penn State, and earlier today we shared from sources deeply connected to Penn State that those in Happy Valley believed they had the infrastructure for Sitake to come in and make an immediate impact. However, we noted BYU has plenty of capacity to match.
From our piece earlier today:
Today, sources deeply connected to Penn State's search tell FootballScoop, "This is definitely not a done deal but it is definitely fair to say the process is moving down the path. He’s the target. Coach Sitake offers really unique skillsets. His teams are exceptionally well coached. While they might not have the talent level of some of the top tier schools it would be hard to find any of those top tier schools that are better coached than BYU.
In today’s modern football it’s up to a university and its fan base to provide NIL support to get the best players. It’s the coaches job to develop and get the best out of them. I believe we at Penn State have demonstrated the commitment to attracting top tier funding and talent. I believe Coach Sitake brings the coaching acumen to get the best out his players."
We went on to note that BYU was doing everything in their power to retain Sitake, who has the Cougars on the cusp of a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff berth set to take on Texas Tech this weekend.
Late this afternoon, word has broken that Sitake is choosing to remain in Provo. BYU has not only agreed to significant new investment in Sitake; but also has agreed to a very large additional compensation pool for their players.
In his first head coaching job, Sitake is 83-44 overall at BYU since taking over in 2016. His teams are universally regarded as some of the best coached teams in the country that play with a physical edge on both sides of the ball.
With him set to stay put, Penn State's search to replace James Franklin, who was dismissed after a 3-3 start to this fall in a season that began with national title aspirations, continues on.
Meanwhile, both Kentucky and Michigan State decided for fresh starts and had a new head coach in place the same day, with the Wildcats nabbing Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein and the Spartans landing former longtime Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.
Update: BYU has announced a long-term extension.
“I am humbled and full of gratitude for the outpouring of love from BYU fans and the trust and support provided to our football program by our university leadership,” Sitake said. “I’m thankful to President Shane Reese, Vice President Keith Vorkink and our Athletic Director Brian Santiago and his leadership team for the confidence they continue to place in me to lead our program and to take care of our players, coaches and staff. This is good for the stability and future of BYU football. I’m excited about our future.”