As Kalani Sitake and Kyle Whittingham approached each other following their game Saturday night, Sitake removed his hat and embraced Whittingham in a hug. The two have history. Significant history.
When Utah promoted Whittingham to head coach before the 2025 season, one of his first moves was to hire Sitake as his new linebackers coach (the position Whittingham coached prior to his promotion). Over the next 10 years, Whittingham would promote Sitake to defensive coordinator and ultimately made him his associate head coach.
It is very fair to say these men are very close, and in their hearts consider each other brothers in Christ.
Sitake's Cougars out-battled the Utes 22-21 Saturday night in Salt Lake at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The "Holy War" was back and forth, truly a battle until the end.
In the locker room after the game, Sitake took time to remind his players of the importance of respecting and love your opponents. "The guys you are playing against, they believe in the same things too. That's why its important to respect them and love them. ... It's what tough guys do. All I did was just try to love as many guys as I could and now they are here with me as my brothers," he said. "So who knows what can happen and the relationships you can have just by being kind and being Christ-like. That's the beauty of the Gospel in football."
Sitake pointed out how many of BYU's coaches used to coach at Utah. He wanted his players to understand how important it is to be kind to everyone, because ultimately we are all brothers on a journey. We don't know where God will lead us in this life; but we know we need brothers to help us along the way.
Sitake referenced the "Healing in chapter 5, verse 12". I believe he is referring to Chapter 5 of Luke's Gospel in which Jesus heals a man with Leprosy (in verse 12) and goes on to heal a paralytic (in verse 17) through the faith demonstrated by that man's brothers. When Jesus saw their faith, he healed the paralytic. It was his brothers' faith that saved him.
Players battled on the field Saturday night. They played for their programs, their schools, their families, their brothers. After the game, coaches and players for each school hugged, respected and loved each other.
"That's the beauty of the Gospel in football."
This man is the best of us. There is nobody better than Kalani Sitake for BYU. pic.twitter.com/XvUFYMjPQD
— Jeff Hansen (@rakoto10) November 12, 2024
Update> A viewer pointed out Sitake was referencing The Book of Mormon. Helaman 5:12. See below