Cougar Tracks - Daily BYU Cougars Football, Basketball Podcast
Published on Aug 12, 2026, 11:20:19 PM
Total time: 00:34:50
It was a busy Wednesday at the BYU Student Athlete Building, and KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper unpacks all of it.
The biggest headline: Kalani Sitake met with reporters at team photo day and addressed the elephant in the room — his relationship with athletic director Brian Santiago and his recent comments about BYU's resources. After saying on a recent radio interview that BYU has been "given the challenge of doing the most with the least," Sitake was pressed on what that means going forward. His answer was direct: "My agent's going to handle all of that stuff. I'm going to focus on this year's team. As long as I'm the head coach at BYU, I'm going to fight like crazy to make this a premier program." And on his relationship with Santiago? "I'm easy to get along with as long as you take care of our football team."
Mitch breaks down the context — Sitake turning down Penn State last winter, the recent Santiago rumors, the hiring of new deputy AD Marc Hill from Kentucky — and what it all signals about the current state of the BYU athletic department heading into a critical season.
Also on today's episode, Mitch chats with BYU assistant quarterbacks coach Tyler Hughes. The Salt Lake City native joins the Cougars in his first year after a career that includes four NFL seasons with the New England Patriots, a stint as an offensive analyst at Alabama under Kalen DeBoer. Hughes also brings local roots as a former head coach at Bountiful High School and Snow College. In the interview, Hughes discusses working alongside offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick to develop Bear Bachmeier heading into his sophomore campaign, what he's seen from the quarterback room through fall camp, and his journey from the NFL back to the college game.
And to close things out, Mitch recaps Picture Day inside the Indoor Practice Facility. BYU football took a day off from practice as players and coaches gathered for the official team photo on the outdoor practice field before heading inside the IPF. Mitch shares the scene, the vibe, and notes from a midweek break in the second week of camp as the Cougars continue building toward their September 5 opener against Utah Tech.
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Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
Cougar Tracks gives you a daily insider look into BYU Cougars football and basketball.
KSL Sports BYU Insider Mitch Harper hosts the show. Harper has been covering BYU athletics for more than a decade. He brings you everything from the latest happenings in the BYU football and men's basketball programs, to the latest insight on the recruiting trail.
Cougar Tracks is your go-to podcast for the best daily BYU conversation.