BYU coach Kalani Sitake told AD Brian Santiago would be fired, per rumor

Kalani Sitake's increasingly public feud with BYU athletic director Brian Santiago is reaching the point of combustion, and Deseret News columnist Dick Harmon doused the flames with gasoline.

He appeared on Big 12 Today to discuss the off-season chaos brewing in Provo, and dropped one soundbite that was certain to send BYU football fans into a frenzy.

"It would not surprise me if one left and the other one was standing," Harmon analyzed. "I can kind of confirm that because of what I understand and know. But now I think that the leadership has kind of separated Brian from football. ... I know there have been some ultimatums going around, and I know that Kalani has been told that Brian (Santiago) would be fired."

"That didn't happen," Harmon clarified. "[but] what Kalani wants is some transparency."

Harmon continued by adding that BYU brought in a record-high of $155 million from last season's athletics revenue -- $120 million of which came directly from the football program.

He continued that the athletics department hadn't been entirely transparent with Coach Sitake about where that money goes, and it's added friction between the sides.

Separating football from the rest of the athletic department and Brian Santiago's watch was the university's quick fix to cool the frustration. We'll soon learn how well that solution can mend a frighteningly frayed relationship.

Brian Santiago is not a villain. I feel the need to establish this fact, considering the rioting fanbase.

Under his leadership, BYU athletics is now more prosperous than ever, with more donor support than ever and -- as Harmon reported -- more revenue than they've ever earned before. Santiago, a college basketball player as a young man, obviously loves college hoops. BYU basketball has no limits right now, with former NBA coach Kevin Young leading the way, the program signs a five-star freshman recruit annually and just sent AJ Dybantsa to the NBA Draft, where he was selected number one overall.

Though football is the top priority in Provo, basketball isn't far behind. This is just speculation on my end, but that's likely one of the main reasons why Kalani's football program isn't getting the amount of financial support they believe they're entitled to receive. BYU football is a real contender for the College Football Playoff under Sitake, and the school can't afford to squander this window of opportunity.

Sitake and Santiago need to find a way to coexist, or the entire branch could break.

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