BYU Cougars coach, Kalani Sitake, has been named as one of 27 college football coaches in contention for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award. Despite being picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 in preseason polls, BYU has jumped out to an impressive start in which they’ve yet to see an opponent outscore them. That’s right, even amongst the stiff competition of the Big 12, BYU has not lost a game. They’re sitting at 7-0 with a close win against Oklahoma State last night.
Sitake has been coaching at BYU for 9 seasons, leading BYU to an overall record of 68-41 across their time in the Big 12 and Independent play. This season, BYU sits at 13th in the national rankings, just outside of the newly expanded 12 team playoffs. They’re playing at an incredibly high level and have their eyes set on a Big 12 conference championship and a playoff berth.
The Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award
Kalani Sitake was named to the Coach of the Year award once before, in 2020. A BYU Football coach has never won the award, while hated rival Utah saw the award got to their coach, Kyle Whittingham, in 2008.
In 2013, Lavell Edwards was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award from Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards. Sitake is one of Edwards’ former players.
According to the Bryant Awards website, the Coach of the Year Award celebrates “college football coaches who embody the leadership, dedication, and excellence exemplified by Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant himself. Each season, one remarkable coach from the NCAA is selected to receive the coveted “Bear” bust trophy and the title of Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year.”
The website goes on to say that “The Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award salutes those coaches who have reached that same high standard of excellence” in leadership on and off the field. Based on the reactions to the recently released watchlist, Coach Sitake is certainly well-loved, respected, and fits the bill of a leader on and off the field.
“Well deserved! If he leads us to the big xii CCG he 100% deserves a coach of the year award.”
-BYU Fan Not Stanley (@NotStanley4330)
“No one more deserving! Amazing coach and leader and Amazing Person!”
-Coach Justin Anderson(@BYU_CoachJustin)
The winner of the Coach of the Year Award will be announced live on January 22, 2025 from an awards ceremony at the Post Oak Hotel in Houston. If BYU’s season continues on its current trajectory, we can expect Kalani Sitake’s name to be called.
The Rise of the BYU Cougars From 13th in the Big 12 Preseason Rankings to 13th in the Nation
We wouldn’t be talking about Kalani Sitake and the Coach of the Year Award without the incredible rise of BYU football this year. Preseason projections had BYU winning 4 games and finishing 13th in the Big 12. Such success requires a team to be firing on all cylinders, and BYU surely is.
You won’t see BYU atop many statistical leaderboards, but they are efficient. Jake Retzlaff, for example, ranks near the top of the Big 12 in PFF passing grades. The Cougars rank 21st in the nation in turnover margin and 5th in fewest penalties per game. Coach Sitake surely gets some credit for that clean and efficient play. Credit, also, to Sitake, for not letting his team get discouraged for being overlooked.
To add to the hype and energy coming from BYU, Sitake was also named as College Football Network’s Midseason Big 12 Coach of the Year. No doubt the midseason expectations have hiked quite a ways above where they were during the preseason. Fans are likely salivating over the upcoming game against Utah in Salt Lake City.
For More Great Gridion Heroics Content
Follow me on Twitter at @EJohn_316_son and follow us @GridironHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in NFL and College Football, click here!
