BYU is going with a familiar choice to replace longtime athletic director Tom Holmoe.
Brian Santiago, Holmoe’s right hand for almost a decade, will get his crack at leading the department. Santiago has been at BYU since 1997, spending the last eight years as the deputy athletic director.
“We are excited to build on the forward momentum and legacy of Tom Holmoe, who is retiring, with the appointment of Brian Santiago as BYU’s next director of athletics,” BYU President C. Shane Reese said in a news release. “Brian has a track record of leadership and an ability to lead BYU Athletics as we navigate the complex and rapidly evolving waters of college athletics. It’s become clear to me throughout this search process that Brian will seek to strengthen BYU’s academic and spiritual mission, and he understands how it blesses the lives of our student-athletes.”
Santiago’s main responsibility has been overseeing the men’s basketball program, becoming a key influence in hiring head coach Kevin Young. He also was vital to bringing in former coach Mark Pope, who is now at Kentucky.
Santiago is close with many of BYU’s most high-profile alums, including Jazz owner Ryan Smith and NBA legend Danny Ainge.
Although most of Santiago’s direct experience comes in basketball — both as a player and coach — Holmoe gradually relinquished power to Santiago in other sports. Santiago was involved in signing football coach Kalani Sitake to a recent contract extension after the 2024 season.
A large part of Santiago’s success will come from how he navigates revenue sharing, NIL and potential conference realignment positioning.
Holmoe put revenue-sharing plans in place. But it will be up to Santiago to implement them when the landmark House vs. NCAA settlement is finalized.
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU deputy athletics director Brian Santiago greets athletics director Tom Holmoe after a news conference in Provo, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, announcing Holmoe’s retirement after 20 years at the school.
Santiago assumes a more stable department than the one Holmoe inherited in 2005. Whereas Holmoe navigated football independence and made several head coaching hires in football and men’s basketball, the Cougars are now on stable ground.
Sitake is locked up for several more years and Young just signed a deal last year. Young could eye an NBA head coaching job in the future, but in the short term will lead a program with the No. 1 recruit in the country, AJ Dybansta, next year. BYU is also securely in the Big 12, with the conference’s media rights deal running through 2031.
