BYU COUGARS

Steve Young Believes In ‘Symbiotic’ Relationship Between BYU, Kalani Sitake

Dec 2, 2025, 1:10 PM

PROVO, Utah – Former BYU quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young is not a fan of the current collegiate system that allows poaching of coaches during a postseason push.

Young went on the Dan Patrick Show and was asked about Penn State’s pursuit of BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake as the Cougars prepare for the Big 12 Football Championship.

“First of all, something’s really wrong that allows this kind of madness; so we’ve got to fix that,” Young began when asked how he would feel as a player if his coach left in-season.

RELATED: Crumbl CEO ‘Gets To Work’ On Keeping BYU’s Kalani Sitake Away From Penn State

“It would be super painful,” he continued. “There’s a symbiotic, kind of beautiful thing going on between everything BYU and Kalani, and what he’s doing. And I think he has the love for it too. So, the pain would be pretty extreme.”

Sitake has led the Cougars since 2016 and is an alumnus of the program, having played for BYU Hall of Fame head coach LaVell Edwards.

 

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Looking past what it says that a program like Penn State is pursuing Sitake, Young is confident that BYU Director of Athletics Brian Santiago and those behind the scenes are doing what is necessary to keep Sitake in Cougar blue.

“Don’t be confused, they’re going to have to rip him from our bloody hands,” Young finished.

BYU Cougars 2025 Schedule (11-1, 8-1)

  • Portland State Vikings @ BYU Cougars | W 69-0
  • Stanford Cardinal @ BYU Cougars | 27-3
  • BYE
  • BYU Cougars @ East Carolina Pirates |  W 34-13
  • BYU Cougars @ Colorado Buffaloes | 24-21
  • West Virginia Mountaineers @ BYU Cougars | 38-24
  • BYU Cougars @ Arizona Wildcats | 33-27
  • Utah Utes @ BYU Cougars | 24-21
  • BYU Cougars @ Iowa State Cyclones | 41-27
  • BYE
  • BYU Cougars @ Texas Tech Red Raiders | 29-7
  • TCU Horned Frogs @ BYU Cougars |  44-13 
  • BYU Cougars @ Cincinnati Bearcats 26-14
  • UCF Knights @ BYU Cougars | 41-21

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Brian Preece is a KSLSports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball hereFind Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.

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Steve Young Believes In ‘Symbiotic’ Relationship Between BYU, Kalani Sitake