1 / 2

BYU head football coach Kalani Sitake (with headset) celebrates on the sideline in a 24-21 victory against Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

2 / 2

New BYU men's volleyball coach Rob Neilson give remarks at an introductory news conference at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.

Christi Norris, BYU Photo

❮ ❯

Daily Herald sports writers Darnell Dickson and Brandon Gurney debate and pontificate on the hot BYU sports topics of the week.

1. What do you think of the new hires/changes for the BYU football assistant coaching staff?

DICKSON: One of the aspects of Jay Hill’s coaching acumen I appreciated the most was his ability to make in-game adjustments. Not huge ones, just the subtle changes and right words of encouragement to shut down the opposing offense. We saw it time and time again, especially this year when the Cougars kept falling behind early or starting out slowly. I have no doubt Kelly Poppinga has the experience and knowledge to run the defense, but is he someone who has that knack for making the right adjustments? I think Gilford’s loss will be felt not only on the field but in recruiting. DeMario Warren may take some time adjusting to recruiting at the Big 12 level.

The biggest thing is how the players react to the changes. Will they develop a strong relationships with Poppinga in his new role? Can Warren get the players to believe in him like they believed in Gilford?

GURNEY: I covered Kelly Poppinga when he was a player and have always found him to be extremely likable, bright and engaging. Are these important qualities for a defensive coordinator? I think so, and I think Poppinga’s engagement abilities have aided him in keeping almost all of his defensive players at BYU along with adding at least one key addition. So yeah, I think Poppinga is an excellent choice with a lot of upside.

I’ve felt that Jenaro Gilford will ultimately prove tougher to replace at cornerbacks coach than Jay Hill in his capacity as defensive coordinator, and I hold to that. Is DeMario Warren a good replacement? I mean, we’ll see on that, but I like his credentials as a non-LDS minority coach, which I think is an essential component in recruiting and developing cornerbacks at BYU, and he appears to be qualified.

2. BYU football has gone heavy on offensive linemen and linebackers so far in the transfer portal. What do you see is still a pressing need?

GURNEY: I think BYU needs another cornerback. A key to BYU’s defensive success last season was consistently employing three capable cornerbacks, and with Mory Bamba moving on, there’s a need for another body there. There’s some decent options still on the roster to fill that third corner spot, but the Cougars would do well to bring in an established player, much like Smith Snowden, who was swallowed up by Michigan after he decided to move on from Utah.

And yeah, running back depth remains a concern. I think Jovesa Damuni showed capable in becoming a rotation option, and I like the prospects of incoming freshman DeVaughn Eka, but BYU could use another running back. LJ Martin’s durability was extraordinary last season when considering the workload he endured, and I wonder if it’s realistic that can happen next season.

DICKSON: I’m starting to get concerned about the wide receiver room, to be honest. Parker Kingston is a legit threat but replacing the steady contributions of Chase Roberts will be tough. Maybe it’s unfair to judge Jo Jo Phillips since he was hurt most of 2025, but I’m not sure he’s the answer. We saw brief glimpses of guys like Cody Hagen, Reggie Frischknecht and Tiger Bachmeier, but not nearly enough to make it seem they were ready to slide into a regular role. It would be optimal to get a Darius Lassiter or Keelan Marion-type player in the fold but a lot of good receivers have already been snapped up in the portal.

3. Is the trio of AJ Dybantsa, Richie Saunders and Robert Wright III the best “Big 3” in BYU men’s basketball history?

DICKSON: What comes to my mind are “Big Three’s” that never came to be. Going all the way back to the early 90’s with Shawn Bradley, Kenneth Roberts and Ryan Cuff all coming in the same recruiting class but never playing together. Or the “Lone Peak 3” of Eric Mika, TJ Haws and Nick Emery, who only played one season together.

I guess my point is that BYU fans should be grateful Dybantsa, Saunders and Wright get this one season together since Dybantsa will be a Top 5 draft choice and Saunders is graduating.

Are they the best? I would say the argument is strong because of who the Cougars have played this season, including UConn, Villanova, Wisconsin and Miami as well as who is coming up in Big 12 play.

GURNEY: Ugh, this is a tough one, but it’s a great thing for the program that this is a legitimate question to be considered. Let’s start with AJ Dybantsa, who I could easily argue as the single best talent ever to take the floor for the Cougars at the Marriott Center. Then there’s Robert Wright, who I believe can break down a defense and create his own shot better than most past BYU point guards, but I’m not quite ready to vault him over the likes of Kyle Collinsworth or even TJ Haws, although he’s closing fast.

And then there’s Richie Saunders, who I believe is a legitimate NBA talent who can fulfill a lot of different tasks. It’s difficult to think of a better wing BYU has presented on the court, so is he top five? Easily. Is he the best wing the Cougars have ever had? Quite possibly. So, in summary, yeah, this is the best three BYU has ever presented on the court during any given season, if only due to the massive talents of Dybantsa.

4. What are your first impressions of the No. 8 BYU men’s volleyball team?

GURNEY: I would like to thank Darnell for allowing me to be the first one to answer this question as his much more robust volleyball knowledge will certainly upstage whatever I have to offer. But hey, I covered BYU men’s volleyball back in the day, so I know things! Well, sort of.

It’s hard to gather much from two straight set wins over Saint Francis, other than the fact that the Cougars did what was expected in making both matches rarely in question. That’s positive. Trent Moser looks like the type of force BYU needs in a big-hitter upfront and Tyler Herget looks like a promising setter considering his just a freshman. It’s a young and exciting team that may be able to recapture the top form BYU men’s volleyball has displayed in past seasons.

DICKSON: I do know that head coach Shawn Olmstead was pretty concerned until he got the four players who transferred in from Grand Canyon, which cut their men’s volleyball program last spring. He was thinking he was going to have to rely on a talented but green freshman class but Olmstead is pretty optimistic right now. The biggest surprise is probably 6-foot-8 freshman middle AJ Cottle, who goes by the nickname “AJ Da-Bounce-A.”  He’s kind of gangly but has terrific timing with his attacks. Olmstead also said the team spent a lot of time on their defense behind the block and we’ll see if that pays off.

5. What do you think of the hiring of Rob Neilson to take over the BYU women’s volleyball program?

DICKSON: I’m a little biased because I’ve known Rob since he played at BYU back in the mid-2000’s and we’ve always had a friendly relationship, even when he got into coaching. But I think he’s a great hire who has prepared for this opportunity. Remember, Heather Olmstead was an assistant before she took over from her brother, Shawn, in 2015 and had never been a head coach before. She was tremendously successful. Neilson has not only be a head coach (six years at Utah State) but brings terrific experience with Team USA as an assistant for the men’s team. I think he’s ready for the challenge of the Big 12.

GURNEY: To me, bringing in Rob Neilson was the move that made sense and I believe he’ll do a good job in reasserting the team’s high form established by departing coach Heather Olmstead. I like Neilson’s ability to keep his players focused, and more important within the program, which is an area Olmstead struggled with this past season in losing two of her top players to the transfer portal.

So yeah, BYU needed a change, and I think Neilson diverges from Olmstead enough in key facets that should bring some good success to the program. But can he apply the deft development and Xs and Os provided by Olmstead? That remains the big question.