Faith has always been part of BYU athletics, but the way it shows up within teams has shifted over time.
From coach LaVell Edwards’ steady, quiet leadership to current coach Kalani Sitake’s more open, spiritual approach, the relationship between belief and competition has grown into one of the strongest parts of BYU’s athletic identity.
When LaVell Edwards took over BYU football in 1972, his faith shaped the way he coached.
Edwards’ teams were known for discipline, humility and unity. These qualities reflected the values of the university. Edwards believed that football mattered, but he never let it become the most important thing in his life.
As he once said, “The goals and successes of my professional life pale in comparison to my personal goals of an eternal family, receiving exaltation and being with the Savior again.”
That mindset set the tone for BYU athletics for decades. Players prayed together before games, devotionals were woven into team culture, and returned missionaries became a natural part of the roster. Faith wasn’t loud or spotlighted. It simply existed as part of the experience of being an athlete at BYU.
Over time, that background identity became more visible.
In the 1990s and 2000s, more BYU athletes began referencing their faith directly in interviews. Mission stories were common. Coaches across different sports emphasized character, personal growth and perspective. As social media grew, athletes started posting scriptures, gratitude messages, and simple reflections about their beliefs.
When Kalani Sitake became BYU’s head football coach in 2016, the spiritual side of BYU athletics became even more open.
Sitake regularly speaks about gratitude, purpose and relying on God as something central to his own life. At a 2025 BYU devotional, he told students, “God has a plan for you. It’s important to realize that there is a divine design for us.”
Sitake’s approach reflects what many BYU athletes experience today.
Teams across campus hold firesides, service nights, and team devotionals. Players talk openly about praying before competitions or relying on their faith when dealing with injury or pressure. Social media posts about faith are common across nearly every team.
This shift doesn’t replace what Edwards built; it builds on it.
Edwards created a space where spiritual identity and athletic excellence could exist together. Sitake continues that legacy, but in a way that matches today’s athletes. It’s more open, more vocal and more connected to personal expression.
Across BYU sports, faith now appears in small, everyday ways. It shows up in the locker room before games, in quiet moments during practice, and in how players talk about representing the university. It influences how teams support each other, how athletes handle setbacks, and how they view their roles beyond wins and losses.
From Edwards to Sitake, the message has remained consistent: BYU athletics is about more than results. It’s about helping athletes grow spiritually, academically and personally while competing at the highest level they can. The expression of faith may look different now than it did decades ago, but the purpose behind it hasn’t changed. It’s still about becoming something more both on the field and far beyond it.