Kalani Sitake

Kelaokalani (Kalani) Fifita Sitake has been the head coach of the BYU football program since 2016. As the 14th head coach in BYU history—and the first former player under legendary coach LaVell Edwards to hold the position—Sitake has built a lasting legacy in Provo. Under his leadership, BYU transitioned from Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) independence to the Big 12 Conference in 2023, solidifying its place among the Power 5. Throughout his long career, Sitake has mentored numerous NFL draft picks, over a dozen of which were Cougars. Notable players include quarterback Zach Wilson, linebacker Fred Warner, and wide receiver Puka Nacua, along with running backs Tyler Allgeier and Jamaal Williams. 

Sitake played fullback at BYU in 1994 then took a break to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oakland, California. After graduating from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2000, Sitake spent one season with the Cincinnati Bengals before retiring from professional football due to a back injury.  

Sitake began his coaching career in 2001 at Eastern Arizona College, working with defensive backs and special teams before returning to his alma mater, BYU, as a defensive graduate assistant in 2002. Sitake then spent two seasons at Southern Utah University, coaching running backs, tight ends, and the offensive line. In 2005, he joined fellow BYU alumnus Kyle Whittingham’s staff at the University of Utah, where he spent a decade coaching linebackers before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2009 and later adding the title of assistant head coach in 2012. In 2015, Sitake moved to Oregon State University to serve as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator under former Utah State University head coach Gary Andersen. A year later, with 15 years of college coaching experience, Sitake was named BYU’s head coach. 

Sitake was born in Nuku‘alofa, Tonga, on October 10, 1975; he grew up in Laie, Hawaii, and Provo, Utah, and graduated from high school in St. Louis, Missouri. Sitake became the first Tongan defensive coordinator in FBS history when he was appointed by Utah in 2009. He is now the first ever FBS head coach of Tongan descent. His leadership has earned him recognition from the American Football Coaches Association, which named Sitake its 2024 Region 4 Coach of the Year and a finalist for AFCA National Coach of the Year. In 2025, he was inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Timberly, have four children. A proud ambassador of BYU, Sitake sees his role as more than just coaching football and strives to foster excellence in every aspect of his players’ lives, just as BYU did for him.