School officials took to message boards to debunk social media speculation, confirming the administrator remains at the helm as the Cougars gear up for high-stakes fall seasons.
BYU athletics took an unprecedented step on Saturday to confirm athletic director Brian Santiago wasn't fired as some reports online had suggested.
Even as Santiago has made appearances recently, including at Big 12 Football Media Days, rumors have been flying around social media. But one BYU official had enough of the online circus and decided to join a message board to put the message out there. Lots of rumors swirling around here today was the title of the post.
"I just want to officially confirm that Brian Santiago's employment status with the university has not changed. He is still the AD, Jon McBride, BYU Associate Athletic Director for Communications and Media Strategy, wrote on CougarBoard.
"I was on the sidelines with him, President Reese and Vice President Vorkink tonight for the BYU soccer game. Lots of great things happening in BYU Athletics right now. Get ready for an incredible season. It's a great time to be a Cougar fan."
Why would Santiago's name be circulating in rumors right now? Say what you want, but he has led BYU to new heights with continued success. The football program is on track for one of the best seasons in program history. Since Kevin Young was hired as head coach, the men's basketball program has turned out solid seasons with a Sweet 16 appearance last year. This came right before Santiago was hired last year.
While most athletic departments would ignore the rumors and let them die off, BYU felt it was necessary to set the record straight. Not something you see every day to try and tap in with the fans. Nevertheless, McBride did something more athletic departments should strive to be doing across the nation for more transparency.
Santiago has been on the job just shy of 15 months after replacing Tom Holmoe. His entire time at BYU started as a staffer for the basketball team in 1997.
The Cougars are ramping up for the fall sports season in Provo. Young leads his team into a stacked preseason and non-conference schedule. BYU has two exhibition games at home against Nebraska and on the road in Las Vegas against UNLV. They'll start the season on Nov. 2 against Ohio State at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
As for football, Kalani Sitake has yet to lead his team to a College Football Playoff appearance. After being picked as a frontrunner in the Big 12 Conference race, being in the 12-team Playoff could happen this year.
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