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| Aaron Roderick, Fesi Sitake, and Ryan Pugh (Photo courtesy BYUCougars.com). |
Yesterday, BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake announced three new hires as offensive assistant coaches. Two of them are polarizing choices.
Aaron Roderick, Fesi Sitake, and Ryan Pugh are the new hires. It is also worth noting Kalani Sitake also announced that Steve Clark would remain on the staff. It should be obvious to anybody who has followed BYU football longer than a couple of years who are the two polarizing hires. That's right, Roderick and Fesi Sitake.
Roderick played at BYU in the late 1990's. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant immediately after his playing days. After three seasons at BYU as a graduate assistant, Roderick spent three seasons coaching at Snow College and Southern Utah. Nothing wrong with any of that.
In 2005, Roderick's career took a turn down a road many Cougar fans disapproved. He took a job at Utah under first year head coach Kyle Whittingham. Eight seasons later, Roderick alienated many more of the fans who cheered him as a player.
Just like it is now, BYU was replacing the offensive coaching staff following the 2012 season. During that transition, BYU announced that Roderick was the new wide receivers coach. That lasted a day. Before the ink was dry on his contract, Roderick changed his mind and stayed at Utah.
Some have gotten over that about-face. Many have not.
Sitake isn't a family name like Johnson, Smith, or even Davis where so many people share that name it is unlikely that two people who share the name are close blood relatives. When two guys who coach college football in the state of Utah share the Sitake name, they are bound to be related. Fesi and Kalani are cousins. That family relationship causes some to consider the hire a case of nepotism.
Fesi Sitake does meet the qualifications for the position coach job. He has a total of seven years experience of college coaching. He has been an offensive coordinator (Weber State) and a passing game coordinator. The latter position he has held at two different schools (Southern Utah and Weber State). However, other interested candidates, like Paul Peterson, appear to be equally qualified.
If BYU was coming off a winning season, and this job opening was a result of BYU assistant coaches taking other coaching jobs, then most people probably wouldn't have a problem with hiring Sitake now. With 2017 being a season all fans will try to forget, it is much easier for people to make the family relationship a big deal.
Perceived nepotism and enemy allegiances make Sitake and Roderick polarizing hires. Two years ago, when Kalani Sitake was hired as head coach, BYU catered to fan interest and brought in assistants who were popular with the fan base. Namely Ty Detmer and Reno Mahe. Both beloved players who had NFL careers. Either way, the expectations are the same.
Some fans may be upset, but the standards for BYU football haven't changed. Bottom line, Roderick and Fesi Sitake need to deliver results on the field. If they bring BYU offensive firepower from their position groups, then fans with nepotism and allegiance issues will look past that, and celebrate BYU's success; just like they wanted to do for Detmer and Mahe's lack of experience. If the offense continues to struggle, and Roderick and Sitake's players are part of the problem, then fans can expect them to be gone just as fast as Demter, Mahe, and Mike Empey.
Ryan Pugh
For a complete background on Pugh, click on his name at the beginning of the story to be redirected to his bio on the BYU Football web page. Here is a quick resume.
He played college football for four years at Auburn from 2007-10. Current BYU offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes was his position coach. Pugh was All-SEC three seasons and All-American as a senior in 2010 when he helped the Tigers win the National Championship. His coaching career started in 2012 after trying to make it in the NFL in 2011. He has shadowed Grimes as a graduate assistant at Auburn, Virginia Tech, and LSU, with stops at Cincinnati (GA) and UT-San Antonio (offensive line coach) mixed in.
The Editor appreciates all feedback. He can be reached via email at bluecougarfootball@gmail.com
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