Penn State making push for Big 12 head coach

As expected, the Penn State coaching rumor mill picked up some serious steam on Monday, just days after the conclusion of the regular season. BYU head coach Kalani Sitake has skyrocketed to the top of the coaching board with rumors and reports of an increasing interest from Penn State.

Sitake is currently preparing his BYU team for this week's Big 12 championship game. BYU takes on Texas Tech knowing a win would clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff. BYU is also making the case that is already deserving of a spot in the playoff regardless of the result of this week's conference championship game, although that may not actually be the case according to the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Still, Sitake will be peppered with questions about his sudden connection to the Penn State vacancy this week while trying to capture a Big 12 crown, something BYU fans have dreamt of for years. As you might expect, Sitake made it clear he will only focus on one thing this week, at least publicly.

"I think I already commented on it before," Sitake said during a press conference on Monday when asked about his name being mentioned in the rumor mill. "I'm all about the Big 12 championship and keeping our teams focused on that."

With UCLA hiring James Madison head coach Bob Chesney, Sitake could now to be considered the leading candidate for the Penn State job at this point.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State coaching search rumors heating up with Kalani Sitake