Over the weekend and through much of Monday, there were a bevy of rumors swirling regarding the possibility of BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake taking the same position at Penn State — with Sitake himself not doing much on Monday morning to quiet the rumors during a press conference publicizing this weekend's Big 12 championship game between his team and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
On Monday evening, the rumors became more substantial as numerous national college football reporters reported that Sitake is indeed Penn State's top target to become the program's next head coach.
That said, all of them noted that no deal between Sitake and Penn State has been finalized.
On3 was first to formally report that Sitake is Penn State's top target, with Brett McMurphy, Chris Low and Pete Nakos reporting that "The two sides have had extensive conversations in recent weeks."
On3 also reported "that the Nittany Lions have made clear to Sitake that they will offer a lucrative salary pool, including defensive coordinator Jay Hill."
ESPN's Pete Thamel, meanwhile, reported on X that "BYU coach Kalani Sitake is the focus of Penn State's head coaching search. No deal has been signed, as the sides continue discussions. The sides have met, and there's mutual interest."
Thamel also reported that "The sides have discussed staffing and other details of what Sitake's tenure in State College would look like ... There's still steps that need to happen before a deal comes together."
NBC Sports' Nicole Auerbach likewise reported that Sitake "is the focus of the Penn State coaching search," but "No deal is done at this point."
Finally, The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported that "the most significant development out of Penn State is BYU coach Kalani Sitake emerging as a strong candidate, though a resolution didn't appear imminent as of Monday evening."
Feldman further reported that "Sitake's name is the only one that has really gained enough traction over the past week or so. ... A person briefed on the search told The Athletic that Sitake is among a small group of candidates Penn State is considering."
Penn State is looking to replace James Franklin, whom it fired all the way back on Oct. 12.
