Kalani Sitake starts shaking up his coaching staff, parts ways with two position coaches
BYU’s substandard showing on offense this past season has cost two assistant coaches their jobs.
BYU football spokesperson Brett Pyne confirmed Monday morning that offensive line coach Darrell Funk and tight ends coach Steve Clark “will not be returning next season.”
The Salt Lake Tribune first reported the shakeup, citing “multiple sources.”
“He was the first one to really reach out, the first guy I developed a great relationship with in recruiting He is such a funny, genuine guy, just a great man. I love him.” — BYU tight end recruit Ryner Swanson on Steve Clark, who was fired Monday
Pyne confirmed that all of BYU’s other assistant coaches will be retained.
Rumors have circulated for weeks that Funk’s job was in jeopardy and that Clark and running backs coach Harvey Unga were also in danger of being replaced.
Another source told the Deseret News that offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick’s job is not in jeopardy, saying that Roderick’s track record of sending former quarterbacks Zach Wilson and Jaren Hall to the NFL and his record of producing stellar offenses in his first two seasons — 2021 and 2022 — kept him safe, for now.
Also, the source said the new offensive line coach could be given an associate head coach label, and some responsibilities that come with that, much like first-year defensive coordinator Jay Hill has.
The Cougars finished the season with a 5-7 record after Saturday’s 40-34 loss to No. 20 Oklahoma State and will not be playing in a bowl game for the first time since 2017, eight-year head coach Kalani Sitake’s second season in Provo.
The changes are certainly not a surprise.
BYU had one of the worst offenses in the country in 2023, ranking No. 121 in total offense (309.8 yards per game), and No. 120 in rushing offense (104.33 yards per game). BYU gained just 3.48 yards per carry, also among the worst in the nation.
Clark was a player and media favorite, always quick with a witty comment or dose of praise. The Provo native has been BYU’s tight ends coach since 2016, when Sitake came on board to replace Bronco Mendenhall. He has also coached at Southern Utah, Utah and Weber State.
However, BYU has been getting less and less production from its tight ends the past few seasons, although fifth-year junior Isaac Rex finished his career last Saturday with 24 touchdown catches, the most for a BYU tight end in school history.
Last summer, four-star tight end recruit Ryner Swanson told the Deseret News that Clark was one of the main reasons why he chose BYU and turned down offers from the likes of Oregon, Texas, Utah, Stanford and Florida.
“He was the first one to really reach out, the first guy I developed a great relationship with in recruiting,” Swanson said. “He is such a funny, genuine guy, just a great man. I love him.”
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Current freshman tight end Jackson Bowers, a four-star recruit from Arizona, has also said that Clark played a big role in his signing with BYU.
Funk was hired by Roderick in February 2021 to replace Eric Mateos, who departed for Baylor with then-BYU offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, who was fired by Baylor on Sunday.
Roderick went outside the BYU football circle to bring in Funk, a native of Fort Collins, Colorado, who now has 36 years of coaching experience. Funk worked at Michigan, Purdue, San Diego State, Colorado State (where he played) and UTSA and was fairly successful his first two seasons at BYU.
However, BYU’s offensive line was a big disappointment in 2023, even with potential NFL draft picks Kingsley Suamataia and Connor Pay returning and additions from Utah (Paul Maile), Utah State (Weylin Lapuaho) and Oklahoma State (Caleb Etienne).
