This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Provo • It took Jamaal Williams about a minute to jump on the Kalani Sitake bandwagon, BYU's star running back said Thursday as the Cougars held their sixth annual Football Media Day at the Broadcast Building on campus.

"The first thing he said that actually got my attention was he said I am not here to be your elder, or your bishop, or none of that," said Williams, who is back for his final season of eligibility after withdrawing from school just days before camp started last August. "He said, 'I am here to be your football coach.' When he said that, I was like, 'I am sold. That's it. He is my football coach already.' "

Not a lot of earth-shattering news came out of Thursday's proceedings — kickoff times for three home games was about the only announcement — so the theme of the day quickly became the excitement that Sitake has brought to the program since replacing Virginia-bound Bronco Mendenhall last December.

Then again, Sitake noted, "every media day you go to, everyone's excited."

Unlike at these gatherings in the Mendenhall era, Sitake didn't do much to stoke the excitement fire. He didn't predict a certain amount of wins against what could be — could be — the most difficult schedule in more than a decade. He didn't even promise a winning season in his inaugural campaign, which won't be easy with Utah, UCLA, Arizona, Mississippi State, Michigan State, West Virginia, Utah State and Boise State on the schedule.

"We have really great talent coming back and I think they are looking forward to getting on the field," Sitake said, downplaying how much excitement his hiring has created in Provo. "This isn't about me as a coach. This is about our players and trying to spotlight those guys. They deserve all the attention, and they are going to get it, and it is going to be a lot of fun."

If the day proved anything, it is that the players love their new coach.

"He is just a great person. He's a real players' coach, and he really cares about us," said Williams, who pronounced himself more mature, more determined, faster and with more quickness in his return. "He does everything he can to get us what we want. He's building new things at the practice field, a players' lounge. He's doing great things for us, and honestly, he is doing it by his actions and not by words."

Nobody was trashing Mendenhall, or his ways, but to a man players said the difference between the coaching styles are like night and day. Linebacker Harvey Langi said Mendenhall had a "genius mind" when it came to football, and was an "extremist" in every thing he did.

"But he could have been more personable, and more of a father figure," Langi said, while also crediting Mendenhall for running a successful, positive, winning program.

On the flip side, Sitake is that father figure a lot of players yearned for, Langi said.

"When you have a coach that knows how to coach you and teach you on the field, but also can put his arm around you and say, 'hey, how are you doing? How is your spiritual life? How is your social life? How is your family life? How is everything going? Do you need anything?' That is comforting, it is supportive, and it is a new feel and it is a good feel."

Several players said Sitake came in preaching family and unity, but wasn't preachy.

"Being able to be an example to our players is more important than anything for me than [from] the religious side, but football-wise I played here and I played for one of the best coaches of all time in college football, LaVell Edwards," Sitake said.

He also credited two other mentors, Utah's Kyle Whittingham and Oregon State's Gary Andersen, for teaching him to be himself and put the players first.

"I know what the players are going through," he said. "I've lived it, and I've lived it at BYU."

Clearly, Sitake isn't going to stress over the little things. He's not even worried that BYU doesn't have a tight end who has caught a pass in a Division I college football game, doesn't have a kicker and could be picked to lose eight of its first nine games.

"I really don't have many worries. I am not stressed out about anything. Maybe all coaches say that, but I am having fun doing this. Maybe ask me in the middle of the season. Right now, I am loving this process of getting guys ready," Sitake said. "I know that sounds cocky, but I know what to expect [because of] other places I've been, and from having been at BYU. ... Nothing really keeps me up at night. I just wish we were in fall camp right now."

Personnel-wise, Sitake was a bit coy regarding which players coming off suspensions, injuries and surgeries will be available in camp, which starts Aug. 5. However, several coaches acknowledged star offensive lineman Tejan Koroma is on track to return after being suspended from the team in January.

Thursday's activities started with the traditional "State of the Program" television show for BYUtv, and athletic director Tom Holmoe confirmed that football-independent BYU is eager to join a Power 5 conference, but will not drop its policy of never playing on Sundays for religious reasons to make itself more attractive to a league such as the Big 12.

"It is in our best interest to not be pushing the envelope [for P5 inclusion]," said Holmoe, who did not grant any other interviews. "They're well aware of what we'e done. The stats and records speak for themselves. We are a very, very good football program for over 40 years. We have an excellent athletic tradition outside of football and educationally this is one of the best schools ever."

Twitter: @drewjay —

Highlights

R Athletic director Tom Holmoe acknowledges that BYU is eager to join a Power 5 conference, but won't alter its no-Sunday-play stance to get an invitation.

• BYU announced that home football games against UCLA, Toledo and Michigan State will all kick off at 8:15 p.m MDT and be televised by ESPN or ESPN2.

• Star offensive lineman Tejan Koroma, suspended last winter, is expected to rejoin the team.