BYU has successfully retained head football coach Kalani Sitake, who agreed to a new long-term contract extension on Monday, officially ending speculation that he would leave to fill the head coaching vacancy at Penn State. Sitake, who has compiled an 83-44 record since taking over the Cougars in 2016, informed Penn State of his decision after receiving a strong offer that reportedly approached $11 million annually. Sitake's decision to stay at his alma mater after the two sides had reportedly discussed staffing details leaves Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft returning to the drawing board for a replacement for James Franklin, who was fired earlier this season.
Following the setback with Sitake, Penn State's search pool is shrinking rapidly, with several other early candidates—such as Matt Rhule, Curt Cignetti, and Bob Chesney—having also signed extensions or accepted other head coaching jobs. Attention is now expected to focus on a new set of targets, with Louisville's Jeff Brohm and Ohio State Offensive Coordinator Brian Hartline emerging as top names on various coaching boards. Hartline, who is highly regarded as an elite recruiter and developer of talent, presents a high-risk, high-reward option as a coordinator transitioning to his first head coaching role. Other names that could factor into the decision include Interim Coach Terry Smith and former NFL coach Brian Daboll, who recently received a public endorsement from legendary coach Nick Saban.
