For many years now, the BYU football program has hosted a coaches clinic as part of spring camp. Many high school coaches attend the presentations and watch practices to gain insights into ways to improve.

But Cougar wide receivers coach Fesi Sitake said after Thursday’s practice that the event benefits the BYU coaches as well.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Sitake said. “You get reminded about just the purity of the game. You’ve got a lot of coaches out there who are teaching in high school or who are not teaching but are devoting a lot of time to these high school kids.

“It’s a good reminder that they’re a big reason we’re able to project kids and develop kids. They’ve done a great job in the state of Utah, which is what I’m generally speaking to. It’s a good opportunity to just connect with these guys and build relationships. There is that reminder that there’s a lot of good coaches out there.”

He added that he also learned from another coach, who was the keynote speaker for the day. That was former long-time Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo.

“Hearing from him was a great honor,” Sitake said. “It was great to hear him talk about culture and some of the things that he believes in. It was a lot of confirmation of things we’re doing and then also just some new ideas of implementation on building culture.”

Niumatalolo explained that his message always focuses on the things that are most important to him.

“I was excited to be invited by (Cougar head coach Kalani Sitake) to speak these his high school coaches,” Niumatalolo said. “I have a great affinity for high school coaches. I was influenced by my high school coach. Anytime we can give back in clinics and stuff, it’s all part of it.

“My message is always the same. It’s about creating a culture of victories in life. Football eventually ends so hopefully some of the things you learn in this game and from the team can help you later in life be a better father, a better husband.”

Niumatalolo had high praise for Kalani Sitake, who he considers both a friend and part of the fraternity of college football coaches.

“I have a great, great amount of respect for Kalani and what he’s done,” Niumatalolo said. “He’s done an awesome job here. Being a head coach puts you in a small circle. There are only so many guys who understand the decisions of a head coach. It’s a tough job. Everybody sees the glitz and the glamour, but they don’t see the tough decisions that you have to make.”

He recalled eight years ago when he was interviewed as a potential candidate to take over the BYU football program, but gave a clear opinion about the eventual decision.

“I’ll just say I was deeply interested in the job,” Niumatalolo said. “But it’s worked out great. The guy who is the head coach needs to be the head coach, and he’s a phenomenal head coach. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in it but I also had a great job too. I was grateful that they interviewed me but in the long run, it ended up right.”

Niumatalolo, who coached the Midshipmen from 2007-22, said he’s currently evaluating some possibilities but didn’t have any announcements to make about his future plans.

He does see college football changing in both good and bad ways.

“Some of the stuff that is happening has been talked about for the last decade,” Niumatalolo said. “You can see conferences trying to combine. It’s all been about TV money. I think they’ve seen with the college playoffs how much money that’s going to generate and so the greed is even got even bigger now.”

He likes that players have greater flexibility to reap some of the financial rewards.

“With NIL, I think it’s awesome that players can get money, but there’s there still needs to be some guardrails on it,” Niumatalolo said. “I think they are trying to figure all that stuff out but I don’t think it’s done.”

He said college football heading toward being a minor league for the NFL.

“I think most of us recognize that it will probably be one big league with one big commissioner,” Niumatalolo said. “It’s starting to get close. I never thought it would come that way. It’s going toward being semi-pro where you’re going to have student-athletes getting paid. You can see that’s what is evolving.”

While Niumatalolo’s future and the future of the sport are certainly up in the air, BYU freshman linebacker Isaiah Glasker said he appreciated having the coaching clinic because it brought a chance to remember some good times in the past.

“Seeing all the high school coaches, it helps me reminisce of when I was in high school,” Glasker said. “Being in high school, it’s different than being in college. It was way more fun. You’re with your friends and stuff like that. It was just being around all your brothers all the time. It was a great time.”

Nate Edwards, BYU Photo

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