The stadium still bears his name. The system he built still shapes the game.
And nearly a decade after his passing in 2016, LaVell Edwards is still influencing college football in ways few ever have.
That influence didn’t stay in Provo; it spread.
For those who played for legendary coach LaVell Edwards at BYU, the legacy he was never meant to stay in Provo — it was meant to change the game.
That legacy went from NFL sidelines to powerhouse programs and to leaders far beyond the game.
It can be seen it today with the careers of Andy Reid, Kalani Sitake, Kyle Whittingham and even Jason Chaffetz. Different paths, but all shaped in some way by the legacy of LaVell Edwards.
Andy Reid
Andy Reid played at BYU 1978–1980 and he is currently the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.
For Andy Reid the legacy of LaVell Edwards started with a simple question.
In 1980, Edwards asked Reid — then a junior offensive lineman at BYU — if he had ever thought about coaching. He hadn’t. But that moment changed everything.
What followed was more than mentorship. It was a blueprint for leadership, one built on composure, trust and consistency.
“He was very composed during tough times in a game. He never really let his emotions get away from him," Reid said. "That was a good lesson for me to learn throughout my coaching career. If you lose your head, then everybody is going to lose their head."
Decades later, that same steadiness shows up on NFL sidelines.
Kyle Whittingham
Kyle Whittingham played at BYU from 1978-1981 and he is currently head coach at Michigan.
For Whittingham, the impact of LaVell Edwards started long before he ever stepped onto the field.
It began with his family.
Edwards hired Whittingham’s father Fred in the early 1970s — a decision that, in Whittingham’s words, “really changed the trajectory of our family and our lives.”
By the time he reached high school, Whittingham already knew Edwards. Soon after he would play for him, learning not just the game, but the structure behind it.
“He was a master of delegating responsibility,” Whittingham said. “He didn’t try to micromanage … a big part of his success was his ability to target outstanding assistant coaches.”
That influence followed Whittingham far beyond Provo, even into one of college football’s most intense rivalries.
When Whittingham was deciding between coaching at BYU or Utah, Edwards offered guidance and support, standing by him regardless of his choice.
It was a reflection of who Edwards was steady, selfless and rooted in relationships over rivalry.
“He cared deeply about his players,” Whittingham said. “He wasn’t just concerned about you as a football player … he was concerned about you as a person.”
Decades later, that influence still shows up, not just in how Whittingham coaches, but in how he leads.
Because for those who knew him, LaVell Edwards didn’t just shape football, he shaped the people who would go on to shape it next.
Jason Chaffetz
Jason Chaffetz was a placekicker at BYU from 1985-1989. He is currently with FOX News.
For Chaffetz, the influence of LaVell Edwards didn’t just shape a career, it changed a life.
It started with a phone call.
After losing a scholarship opportunity due to a head coaching change at Arizona State, Chaffetz was left without a plan. With the help from ASU coach Daryl Rogers, Edwards offered him a scholarship “pretty much sight unseen.”
“It changed my life,” Chaffetz said.
But when he arrived in Provo, Edwards didn’t ask about football. Not once.
Instead, he asked about who Chaffetz was, his life, his background, his values.
It was a glimpse into what made Edwards different.
Chaffetz echoed Whittingham’s sentiments.
“He cared deeply about his players," he said. "He wasn’t just concerned about me as a football player … he was concerned about me as a person.”
That approach stayed with him long after his playing days ended.
From building a career in business to serving in U.S. Congress, Chaffetz carried those same principles with him, personal responsibility, balance and leadership rooted in genuine care for others.
Looking back, the impact is undeniable.
“It changed my life in every way,” Chaffetz said.
What Edwards built was never just about football, it was about building people's character.
Kalani Sitake
Kalani Sitake played at BYU from 1998-2000. He is currently the head coach at BYU.
For Sitake, current head coach, the legacy of LaVell Edwards isn't something he studied, it’s something he carries even now.
Long before he was BYU’s head coach, Sitake was just a 9-year-old kid trying to figure out who he wanted to be. That changed in 1984 when BYU football players from Edwards’ program showed up at Kalani’s elementary school, not just as athletes, but as something more.
They were different. They had purpose. And that stayed with him.
Years later, Sitake would play for Edwards at BYU. And now, he leads in the very same place.
“I was blessed to have the opportunity to achieve that goal and play football at BYU for the legendary LaVell Edwards,” Sitake said. “It’s humbling for me now to sit in the seat that LaVell occupied during his Hall of Fame career and lead these young men — just like the ones who changed my life when I was a young boy.”
But for Sitake, it’s more than a position, it’s a responsibility to carry LaVell’s traditions.
“I’m trying to do it like he did … I’m trying to make him proud," Sitake said at the Alamo Bowl in 2024. “I wish there was something original about me, a lot of what I’m doing is what he did for me."
It's evident in the way he leads, the way he talks about his players, in the way he chose BYU, not for the spotlight, but for the purpose.
Nearly a decade later, that same love still defines BYU football.
And Sitake? He’s proof that LaVell Edwards’ legacy never left.
LaVell’s legacy today
LaVell’s influence is still visible across not only BYU but across many football teams across the country, and within the leaders that are a part of his BYU family tree.
For BYU President C. Shane Reese, the impact of LaVell Edwards is clear.
“The person who had the most important and deepest impact [on Kalani] as a coach and as a human being is LaVell Edwards,” Reese said.
The stadium still bears his name. But his legacy truly was never meant to stay there. It lives on in locker rooms. It lives on in leaders. It lives on in lives changed far beyond the game.
And nearly a decade after his death, LaVell Edwards is still doing what he always did best — shaping people.
This was always going to be the legacy that wasn’t meant to stay in Provo.