There are few coaches in the Power Four who've had an impact like Kalani Sitake. The BYU Cougars head coach has guided the program during the transition to the Big 12 with tremendous success. The key for Sitake has been standing out above the rest with an approach that benefits his athletes.
Sitake was one of the biggest movers in CBS Sports' coaches rankings. While he narrowly missed the Top 25 at No. 26, jumping up 23 spots from No. 49 last year shows his unconventional style is working in Provo.
"Nobody saw BYU's 2024 season coming. Not after a first season in the Big 12 that saw it go 2-7 in the conference," Tom Fornelli wrote. "But the Cougars rebounded in a major way, finishing last season 11-2, even if there was a bittersweet aftertaste following a 9-0 start. Now, they're seen as a challenger in the conference and a threat to reach the College Football Playoff."
Sitake earned the fifth-best ranking in the Big 12, with Iowa State's Matt Campbell as the highest at No. 10 overall. He lead the Cougars to a four-way tie atop the 2024 conference standing in BYU’s second season in the Big 12, Sitake’s teams have not only achieved double-digit victories in three of the last five seasons (11-1 in 2020 and 10-3 in 2021) but also posted a combined 44-18 (.710) record to give Sitake the ninth-best winning percentage currently among all FBS coaches in that time frame, according to Jay Drew of the Deseret News.
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