BYU football: Which coaches (if any) are on the hot seat?

BYU football had a solid season in year one under Kalani Sitake. But it seems safe to say that the honeymoon is over here in year two. Are any of the staff already on the hot seat?

BYU football’s 2017 campaign has left a lot to be desired. The Cougars are struggling to replace Taysom Hill and Jamaal Williams, with the losses piling up.

Fans, donors and the Cougars themselves are all disappointed. While It’s been less than 24 months since Kalani Sitake was brought on to replace Bronco Mendenhall, there’s no denying that BYU football will be heavily scrutinized until things improve.

Full disclosure here. I wanted Kalani Sitake to be hired. In fact, I wanted him in 2014. I still believe, without a doubt, that he’s the right man for BYU football.

I also liked each of the hires he made and was all aboard the Ty Detmer hype train.

So I’m not writing this to say that heads should roll among the coaching staff. I still believe that Sitake, Detmer and Tuiaki (and Lamb, if they can keep him) need a full four or five years. It’s tough to judge them based on recruits that they didn’t sign.

However, that doesn’t excuse all the coaches from blame. And, whether you agree with it or not, BYU football will have to do some serious evaluations in the offseason to make sure that the people on the staff are the best for the job.

That being said, let’s look at some of the coaches who I believe are facing the most scrutiny.

Running Backs Coach Reno Mahe

I’ve had the opportunity to interview Reno one-on-one. I cannot stress enough how nice he was to me. I have no doubt that he cares about his players and that he has valuable experience.

Plus, after the incredibly tragic passing of his little girl, it’s tough to be hard on him. He’s a good dude that’s been through some terrible stuff.

However, in terms of on-field production, I think Reno’s seat is getting warm.

All season he’s seemingly struggled getting the right players on the field. Now that Ula Tolutau has established himself as the bell cow, we’re struggling to find a No. 2. Maybe it’s Squally Canada, but he hasn’t shown a ton.

Then the questions start arising. Why not more Riley Burt? He’s healthy and every time he touches the ball he shows a flash. Why not more Trey Dye? If you’re concerned with pass protection, dump off to the running backs would be perfect.

Mahe needs to identify his best players and work with Ty Detmer to get them on the field.

If I had to guess, I don’t think Mahe’s job is at serious risk. But at the same time, Jamal Willis is out there right now. He’s got interest in coaching and would be an excellent fit with BYU football. The interest is there, the financial side works out… so who knows?