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After firing head coach James Franklin midway through the 2025 college football season, the Penn State Nittany Lions launched an extended search for the next person to lead their program forward.
After swinging and missing on big names such as Curt Cignetti and Kalen DeBoer, the Nittany Lions eventually landed on BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, and the deal appeared all but done between the two sides.
However, Sitake eventually backed out, opting instead to remain in Provo. Penn State then pivoted to Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, and all sides seem content with how things worked out.
Now, Sitake is opening up about what caused him to make a last-second about-face.
Kalani Sitake Reveals Reasons For Choosing BYU Over Penn State
Sitake recently sat down for an interview with Pete Nakos of On3 and explained what the days were like leading up to and following his decision to pass on the Penn State job.
“It got real quickly after people started to find out about it,” Sitake said. “The decision-making process had to happen almost overnight. Looking at what Penn State was doing and what they were trying to offer, I had to decide what I wanted and what I considered compensation for me, and what I was chasing.”
Ultimately, BYU came back to Sitake and offered increased NIL funding for the program, which made Sitake more confident in his ability to compete at the highest level with the Cougars. Sitake is also, notably, a BYU alum and a practicing Mormon.
Despite turning down Penn State, he says he expects big things from the program moving forward with Campbell.
“Honestly, there’s nothing against Penn State,” Sitake told Nakos. “They’re a fine institution. They got the right guy in Matt Campbell. I have tons of respect for their fans and the people there. I just don’t know much about the area and recruiting there.
“But I’m very confident in my abilities as a coach and a leader. When it came down to it, I had to decide what was more important. It was really hard for me to leave, especially knowing how much the fans appreciate me here. Sometimes when you get caught up in business, you overlook the things that matter most. … It all works out the way it’s supposed to. I’m glad I’m here, and I’m glad Penn State got the man they wanted.”
There we have it. Everybody wins in the end, even if it involved a week of extreme tension between Sitake, both schools, and their respective fan bases.