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BYU head coach Kalani Sitake watches his team practice during the first full day of fall camp in Provo on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021.

Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo

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BYU head coach Kalani Sitake celebrates after the 34-20 Cougar win over Utah State at Maverik Stadium in Logan on Friday, Oct. 1, 2021 (Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo)

Jaren Wilkey/BYU Photo

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BYU head coach Kalani Sitake (left) watches his team compete during the 26-17 Cougar loss to Boise State at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. (Courtesy BYU Photo)

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BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake waves to the fans after the 26-17 Cougar win over the Utes at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (BYU Photo)

Jaren Wilkey/BYU

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BYU head coach Kalani Sitake waves to fans after the 21-19 BYU win over Washington State at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash., on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. (Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo)

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With big-name college football programs like LSU, TCU, Washington, Washington State and USC already looking for new head coaches (and others certain to be added to that list), it’s not surprising that a man who has led his team to the Top 15 in the country in two straight seasons would have his name mentioned as a possible hire.

But BYU head coach Kalani Sitake wasn’t interested in discussing those possibilities during Monday’s media teleconference.

“I know why you guys are asking those questions but I’m focused on getting our team ready for Georgia Southern and this game,” Sitake said. “That’s been my focus this entire season. Whether you ask in August, September, October or now November, the answer is the same. We’re going to take it week by week and focus on getting these guys ready to win.”

If you are a coach in college football, the reality is that these questions are going to arise more often than not.

If your team is struggling, the inquiries are about staff changes.

If your team is excelling, the questions are about possible movement to other jobs.

“All the things that happen when you are doing bad or doing well, that’s just all part of the job,” Cougar defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki said in Tuesday’s teleconference. “I leave all those important decisions to my wife and I just coach ball.”

He said that his approach is to not get too high or too low but said it is a different acclimation process for each coach.

“I think everybody is different,” Tuiaki said. “I think it kind of depends on your personality. I try to stay even keel and deal with things as they come. For some people, a big part of it is figuring out what the next step is, where the opportunities are and how things are shaking out. I think it depends on who you are and what is important to you.”

The athletes know that changes are always possible. BYU has had three offensive coordinators since Sitake became the head coach with Ty Detmer being relieved of his duties and then Jeff Grimes getting the same position at Baylor before Aaron Roderick took over this season.

“It’s sad because you love your coaches and the people around you,” Cougar tight end Dallin Holker said Monday. “But really during the season, you just focus on what you can control. You don’t focus on whether maybe this guy is going to leave or a coach is going to leave. You just really focus and try to live in the moment.”

That’s the gist of Sitake’s message to reporters, when you get right down to it. His perspective is to focus most on being the best both individually and as a team.

It’s a lesson football teaches in many ways, since dwelling on a bad play or a bad game can make things snowball quickly.

“It’s about savoring all of it, I guess,” BYU defensive lineman Uriah Leiataua said. “Time goes fast. I think that really applies to everything, not just football. Another day on Earth is a blessed day, so I just feel like it applies to football in the same way.”

Cougar linebacker Pepe Tanuvasa said he felt like serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helped him gain that perspective that he now applies to staying focused during a football season.

“You’re doing similar things every day for two years,” Tanuvasa said. “If you start to think about how much longer you have left or about family back home, your mind starts to wander. I recognized really fast I need to focus on this week, even just the end of the day or tomorrow. That for me has been my foundation, and that’s been perfect to leading football because you have to take each opponent seriously week by week. You can’t look too far ahead.”

But while both the BYU players and coaches are zeroing on getting ready to face the Eagles on Satuday afternoon (2 p.m. MT, ESPN+), Leiataua was willing to offer his personal opinion on whether Sitake might seriously consider one of the other coaching jobs that are out there.

“I don’t think he’s going anywhere,” Leiataua said. “That’s just my personal opinion. I remember we went 9-4 and he had the chance to go to UCLA, but he didn’t. I don’t see how he would want to leave. That’s just my own speculation.”

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