How Have BYU Coaches Done In Their 4th Year Of Utah Rivalry?

PROVO, Utah – BYU head coach Kalani Sitake enters his fourth season as the lead man of the Cougar football program.

Sitake has endured some low of lows during his tenure at BYU, and some high of highs. One thing Sitake has yet to experience as the Cougars head coach is a victory over BYU’s main rival, the Utah Utes.

BYU is 0-3 through Sitake’s first three seasons in charge. The Cougars enter Thursday night’s game as once again an underdog to the nationally ranked Utes.

THAT'S OUR COACH!! 😤
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀#BYUFOOTBALL #GoCougs #BeatUtah pic.twitter.com/d8Wd7oTaXT

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) August 27, 2019

How have previous BYU and local head coaches fared in their fourth seasons? Let’s take a look.

Bronco Mendenhall

Mendenhall started his BYU career with a bang. In two of Mendenhall’s first three seasons, the Cougars won Mountain West Conference championships and scored wins against the Utes.

Entering Mendenhall’s fourth season in 2008, the Cougars were two-time defending MWC champs and were basically returning every one of importance that helped guide to them a second straight time in 2007.

“The Quest” was then born.

BYU’s “Quest For Perfection” stole the headlines in the off-season as the Cougars were looking to claim their first BCS bowl appearance. It didn’t work out so well as BYU was steamrolled against TCU in Fort Worth and then against the Utes in the regular-season finale.

Utah, not BYU, went to a BCS bowl game in 2008 and had their run of perfection.

Gary Crowton

The former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator and Louisiana Tech went into his fourth season in 2004 fighting for his job. BYU had suffered back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since the early 1970s the previous two years and the program was rocked by off-the-field scandals that drew national headlines.

Crowton had an eye for talent, but his team was young and they had one of the 20 toughest schedules in college football by facing three teams that finished the regular season undefeated (USC, Boise State, Utah). In Crowton’s final game as head coach, Utah and Urban Meyer rolled up 52 points and put on their sombreros en route to the BCS.

LaVell Edwards

The legendary LaVell Edwards had a similar three years to that of Sitake. One great year (1974), one losing season (1973), and an average year (1972). Edwards and the BYU football program entered LaVell’s fourth season in 1975 as the defending WAC champions, but they couldn’t repeat as the champs. The Cougars finished 6-5. One of those six wins did come against Utah in Provo to the tune of a 51-20 rout led by quarterback Gifford Nielsen.

On the other side: Kyle Whittingham

Looking at the other side of the rivalry spectrum, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham went to the Sugar Bowl and had an undefeated 13-0 season in his fourth year as head coach.

Ron McBride

In Ronnie Mac’s fourth year in 1993 as the head man of the Utes, he helped lead Utah to their first win in Provo in 22 years. The Utes later lost to USC in the Freedom Bowl that season.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.