23 Wins in Two Years: BYU's Kalani Sitake Chases CFP Spot

BYU football coach Kalani Sitake has won 23 games over the past two seasons, more than all but four other Football Bowl Subdivision coaches, ESPN reported Oct. 16, 2026. The Cougars, coached by Sitake out of Provo, Utah, are entering his 11th season at his alma mater as the program pushes toward a spot in the College Football Playoff.

How many wins does Sitake have the past two seasons?

Sitake, who turns 51 in October, has racked up 23 wins over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, ranking fifth nationally among FBS coaches in that span, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. That stretch has put BYU on the edge of playoff contention heading into the 2026 season.

What happened in the Pop-Tarts Bowl?

BYU completed a comeback win over Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, ESPN reported, part of the run that has kept the Cougars in national contention. The game capped a season in which BYU built momentum toward a possible playoff berth under the expanded format.

How long has Sitake coached at BYU?

Sitake is in his 11th season as BYU's head coach at the school where he once played under former coach LaVell Edwards, according to ESPN. He has spent his career close to home, and ESPN's reporting frames this season as a chance for him to push the program to new heights "doing it his way."

What makes Sitake stand out to other coaches?

ESPN described Sitake as a coach who cannot help himself when he spots another coach on a field or sideline — he heads straight for them, often with his arms out, according to the network's reporting. He is not doing it for competitive insight or to score political points with a rival staff. He wants to know about their lives, their backgrounds, their teams and how they think about the game.

"Before I was the head coach of BYU, before I was a player for LaVell Edwards, I was always a fan, so the fan is the one that wins out," Sitake told ESPN this spring. "Maybe my style can be a little uncom—" the quote trails off in ESPN's account, but the point lands: Sitake sees himself first as someone who loves football, not someone chasing an edge.

That approach has made him popular with rival coaches across the sport, ESPN reported, even as he has built one of the most successful two-year stretches in the country.

What's next for BYU in the playoff race?

With the Pop-Tarts Bowl win over Georgia Tech behind them, the Cougars head into the rest of the 2026 schedule trying to turn two years of strong records into a playoff berth, according to ESPN's coverage. Rittenberg's reporting frames Sitake as a coach "on the verge of the CFP," a phrase that will be tested in BYU's remaining games this fall.

For BYU fans in Provo and across the Cougars' following, the near-term question is straightforward: can the team hold its spot in the expanded playoff picture through the back half of the season. ESPN's report does not list BYU's remaining opponents or current playoff ranking, so that answer will come from results on the field in the coming weeks.

Readers can follow ESPN's full report, including additional detail on Sitake's background and the Cougars' 2026 outlook, at the originating ESPN story.