C. Shane Reese

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This devotional address, entitled, In Appreciation of Friction, Embracing the Awkward, was given on September 8th, 2026 by C. Shane Reese, president of Brigham Young University.

Vice President Vorkink said that you look incredible.

And I will just tell you, while that is absolutely true, there is also a vibe in this building that is undeniable.

That's Finau, Paki Finau's brother, and then Austin Galindo from Oak Hills, California.

President C. Shane Reese interacting with the recruits.

And then right there, Maui Tonada, number one recruit in the class of 2028 from Orem High School.

Obviously just down the road, he was on hand to watch BYU versus Utah Tech.

He had four sacks as a freshman.

He'll be one to watch.

He was there in that clip that President C. Shane Reese and Vice President Vorkink were interacting with them.

Epilame Finau, interior offensive lineman, Paki Finau's younger brother, 6'4", 320 pounds.

remarkable things, has a good relationship.

I know for a fact Scott O'Neill has met with Shane Reese and Keith Vorkig.

Bring him in.

He's a huge...

And the chain of command at BYU...

When it comes to the athletic department, it would consist of Presidency Shane Reese, then Advancement VP Keith Vorkink, then AD Brian Santiago, and then the football program.

Now the Brian Santiago piece moves when it comes to the football side.

Brian will go with the rest of the athletic department.

And I believe that BYU has the roster, has the horses, as they say, the players, to get the job done.

And I think that BYU athletics, the BYU administration, Shane Reese, Keith Vorkink, Brian Santiago, Kalani Sitake, and anybody else involved, I think whether it was the brethren up in Salt Lake City that, uh, essentially said, "Hey, get this handled the best way you can handle it for the time being," because have this drug on into the season Would have been a very, very easy thing to distract the BYU football program and take their eye off of what they're trying to accomplish here.

So this is a big, big opportunity for BYU.

It's a big opportunity for Kalani Sitake.

Now, many of you are probably wondering, who in the world is Keith Vorkink? Let me help you understand the structure at BYU if you're not aware of it already.

Obviously, Shane Reese is the president of Brigham Young University, and underneath him, he has his vice presidents, one of them being what they call the advancement vice president, which is Keith Vorkink's role, and part of his responsibilities is he oversees BYU athletics.

So think of it this way.

Typically, in most colleges, most universities, the athletic director r- reports directly to the university president.

I will just answer this final question.

This comes from Wes, and other people have asked this.

"Do we know anything about Kei- Keith? Why was he chosen as the guy that coach now has to report to?" Keith Vorkink has been the advancement vice president since Shane Reese took over as BYU's, um, president of the university.

And, and Keith, I know people who know him personally, and I've had very limited interactions with him on my own front.