On Wednesday afternoon, eighth-year BYU head coach, Kalani Sitake, was able to participate in his first conference media day as a head coach, taking the stage for the Big 12 Media Days. Here are three takeaways from his press conference under the bright lights.

Sitake is Impressed with QB Kedon Slovis’s Leadership

Sitake and his staff brought in Slovis over the off-season to fill the gap left from former starting quarterback, Jaren Hall, following his departure to the NFL. Slovis is a graduate transfer, who spent his first three seasons at USC and last season at Pitt. He threw for 2,397 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions last season with the Panthers. 

Sitake acknowledged Slovis’s impact on the field, then pivoted to his impact off the field. The head coach stated, “The things that I’ve been impressed with Kedon is the stuff he does off the field, the connection he has to his teammates, to his coaches, to our fans.”

When referring to Slovis, Sitake would later go on to add, “There’s a lot of things that he brings to the table with his leadership and with the experience that we’re going to lean on heavily.” 

Sitake is Excited for the Fan Experience of the Big 12

The BYU head coach has lived the full experience of being a Cougar fan. Sitake grew up as a BYU fan, then had the experience of playing for the Cougars in the late 90s and early 2000s, and now has the experience of being their head coach. 

When talking about the Cougars’ transition into the Big 12, Sitake said,

This is something that we’ve been dreaming of for a while, speaking as a fan.

Sitake had high praise for the Cougars’ fanbase, mentioning his appreciation for them throughout his press conference. Sitake is excited for BYU fans to have the opportunity to watch them play in the Big 12 and is looking forward to other fanbases getting to experience the atmosphere at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo. 

Sitake is also excited to go on the road and experience the different fanbases throughout the conference, mentioning, “We’re going to go to venues that we’ve never been to, as well, and I’m excited for it. I’m excited to interact with other fans and other teams.”

Sitake has High Praise for Commissioner Brett Yormark

Outwardly voicing support for second-year Big 12 commissioner, Brett Yormark, seemed to be a common theme amongst the coaches’ remarks during the Big 12 Media Days. Multiple coaches made their support known for Yormark and his leadership, including Sitake. 

When speaking about Yormark, Sitake said, “I’ve been really impressed with his leadership and I’m excited to follow his leadership and I love the innovative and creative ways of approaching college football, and looking forward to following him as a leader.”

In his first year as commissioner, Yormark jumped ahead of other conferences and inked an evermore important T.V. deal with ESPN and FOX through 2031. Yormark also announced at this year’s Media Days that the Big 12 has agreed to a contract extension with AT&T Stadium through the 2030 season to host the Big 12 Championship. Last season’s conference championship game saw the second-highest attendance in conference title history, with 69,335 spectators.

Photo credit: Cameron Robertson/FAAZ Sports