Sources: BYU’s Kalani Sitake focus of Penn State coaching search

Penn State’s head coaching search is focused on BYU football coach Kalani Sitake, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Monday, confirming a report by ON3.

Both sides have met and there is mutual interest but no agreement has been signed and some steps still need to be taken before coming together.

The two sides have discussed staffing and other details of what Sitake’s tenure at State College will look like.

Sitake, 50, has stressed this week that his focus is on Saturday’s Big 12 championship game against Texas Tech.

BYU, ranked 11th in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, is 11-1, with its only loss coming against the Red Raiders.

Sitake, a former BYU football player, has coached the Cougars since 2016. Previously, he served as the defensive coordinator at Utah and Oregon State.

He is 83–44 in his head coaching career at BYU.

Penn State is searching for a replacement for James Franklin, who was fired amid a 3-3 start to his 12th season that included losses to UCLA and Northwestern. Franklin has since been hired as Virginia Tech’s coach.