Salave'a blending well with Wildcats

Joe Salave'a's first full day as a member of the Arizona Wildcats coaching staff was jammed with meetings, film work and a practice that stretched into the evening.

The meet-and-greet will have to wait.

"We're past the introductions," Salave'a said. "Our goal is to get these guys ready to play."

The former UA standout and NFL lineman started as the defensive line coach Monday, giving him scant time before the Wildcats' Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl game against No. 16 Oklahoma State.

Salave'a won't change much, technique-wise, but already has challenged his players to change their expectations.

Arizona's newest assistant is scoring points with his boss.

"I'm really impressed with his ability to fit in so quickly," head coach Mike Stoops said. "It feels like he's been around for a long time."

As recently as two weeks ago, Salave'a was plotting his next career move from his Las Vegas-area home.

An eight-year veteran with the Titans, Chargers and Redskins, Salave'a spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons as defensive tackles coach at San Jose State, but left when Spartans coach Dick Tomey - Salave'a's coach at the UA from 1994 to '97 - retired.

Salave'a spent this summer with the Seattle Seahawks as part of the NFL's minority internship program. But a flurry of moves on the UA staff brought the 35-year-old Salave'a home.

Mike Tuiasosopo and Greg Brown left the UA two weeks ago to join Jon Embree's staff at Colorado. Within days, Salave'a - endorsed by Tomey and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who called Stoops and defensive coordinator Tim Kish - was flown to Tucson for an interview. He was hired Thursday, and, in a rare move, invited to coach the defensive tackles for the upcoming bowl game.

The whirlwind hire "is the nature of the business," Salave'a said. Though he's still feeling his way through the job, Salave'a is helped by something Tuiasosopo didn't have - an NFL pedigree.

Senior Lolomana Mikaele was among the hundreds of Polynesian football players who rooted for Salave'a as a child in Honolulu.

"In the Polynesian community, everybody follows each other - especially if you're doing good," Mikaele said. "He's adjusting to us pretty good."

Salave'a said he will save his major tweaks for the off-season. For now, he's focusing on what he can control - Arizona's will to win.

A Tomey disciple, Salave'a knows the right buttons to push. He has challenged Mikaele and redshirt freshman Justin Washington to produce against an Oklahoma State offense that's among the best in the nation.

"I'm coaching these guys to win this game now. That's just the way I am," he said. "Nothing personal; you have to have thick skin around me. It's about going out there and taking care of business. The only way they can enjoy the experience is winning the bowl game."

Navy continues success under third-year coach Niumatalolo

BY GARY HYVONEN - For the North County Times North County Times - Californian |

SAN DIEGO ---- The United States Naval Academy is located in Annapolis, Md., nestled along the banks of the Severn River. It's a mere 30 miles from the White House. The trees are bare, the wind is cold, and the ground is white this time of year.

So don't be fooled by the sailboats in picturesque Chesapeake Bay. This is one of the last places in the country you would expect to hear the word "aloha.''

But that's exactly what you get if you reach the recording at the school's football office.

"Aloha, and welcome to Navy football.''

Huh?

"My secretary did that,'' says head coach Ken Niumatalolo. "She wants to make sure I don't get too homesick.''

Niumatalolo was born and raised in Hawaii. That he has ended up 5,000 miles away as one of the rising stars among college football coaches is a story of inspiration and trailblazing.

Niumatalolo still visits the islands every summer, but the truth is he and his family have adapted nicely to East Coast living. In fact, the youngest of his and wife Barbara's three children was born in Maryland, where he has resided for 12 of the last 15 years while serving in a variety of coaching roles for Navy.

When Paul Johnson, who lifted the Midshipmen program out of the doldrums, left three years ago for Georgia Tech, Navy promptly made Niumatalolo the first Samoan head coach in college football history ---- and only the second Polynesian at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.

"It's a great honor,'' Niumatalolo said. "I actually look at it from a standpoint that if I can be successful, I hope I can open doors for other Polynesian coaches. Polynesians have had a lot of success as players and I know there are a lot of them in coaching positions so hopefully more of them will get a chance to be head coaches.''

The 45-year-old Niumatalolo already seems to have his hand on the doorknob for them.

He has guided Navy to a 27-13 record and extended its bowl-appearance streak to eight years, the latest being Thursday's Poinsettia Bowl here against San Diego State.

Niumatalolo actually made his head coaching debut in the inaugural Poinsettia Bowl three years ago. The Mids fell to Utah 35-32 just two weeks after Johnson's departure. Since then, Niumatalolo has established a record for most wins by a coach in his first three years at Navy.

"We haven't missed a beat,'' says Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk. "In fact, we're a better program now than we were three years ago when we promoted Ken. He's perfect for us and we're perfect for him.''

Niumatalolo recently was linked to openings at Minnesota and Vanderbilt. But he says he feels at home in Annapolis, where he is widely recognized.

"That's because there aren't many 275-pound brown guys walking around,'' he says laughing.

Niumatalolo says he is well aware of the strong Samoan presence in San Diego, particularly in North County. It's a recruiting base for the University of Hawaii, where Niumatalolo once served as a quarterback and assistant coach.

He vividly recalls the recruiting war in the early 1990s over prized Oceanside High star Joe Salave'a, who went to Arizona before enjoying a strong NFL career. He knows, of course, about Junior Seau, although he has never met the most accomplished of Samoan football players.

"I would love to meet him,'' Niumatalolo said. "I have been to his restaurant a few times. Good food.''

Seau likely is headed for the Hall of Fame. Niumatalolo seems headed for some high places of his own.

He is hailed for extending Navy's winning streak over Army to nine games.

Chalking up a pair of victories over Notre Dame along the way hasn't hurt. And, under his watch, the Mids have twice claimed the Commander-in-Chief Trophy ---- the prize for success in the annual Navy-Army-Air Force round-robin series.

Niumatalolo personally accepted the trophies at the White House, the first from George W. Bush, the second from Barrack Obama. Pretty heady stuff for a kid from the islands who simply wanted to be a sportscaster growing up.

"It's surreal, you almost have to pinch yourself,'' Niumatalolo said. " I feel very blessed to be in a position where I can influence young men and help develop leaders for our country.''

That Niumatalolo would find comfort at a military institute should not be surprising. For one, the high school he attended, Radford, sits just a few miles from Pearl Harbor.

"When you grow up in Hawaii, you're used to seeing military bases,'' he said.

Then there are the family ties. His father served in the Coast Guard and his brother James is a lieutenant colonel in the Army. And his mother, Lamala, is the real drill sergeant of the clan.

"We didn't have the most expensive home in the islands, but our home was immaculate,'' Niumatalolo said. "My mom would scrub every inch of the floor with Ajax. It was so clean you could eat off it. She was very meticulous. I think that's where my attention to detail comes from.''

Niumatalolo is involved in virtually every aspect of his program, from deciding what time his players eat to seating charts on road trips.

"If someone has a sore right leg,'' he says, "I want to make sure he has an aisle seat on the left side of the plane so his right leg can get some extension.''

Niumatalolo is a finalist for the inaugural Joseph V. Paterno coach of the year award, which will annually recognize dedication to developing student athletes.

He understands that coaching at Navy is more than X's and O's. Students there are required to serve in the military upon graduation. It makes recruiting difficult, but it hasn't stopped him from producing some impressive results.

"His heart and his spirit are why he is successful,'' says quarterback Ricky Dobbs." God is the focal point in his life. He doesn't do this for himself.''

Niumatalolo, a devout Mormon, is soft-spoken and constantly encouraging. His own children are star athletes and he approaches his job with the understanding that "all my players are somebody's kids.''

"My brother was spoiled growing up because he always played on teams with great athletes,'' James Niumatalolo said." And he's been very fortunate as a coach to have had some outstanding mentors, guys like Bob Wagner (Hawaii), John Robinson (UNLV) and Paul Johnson.''

It was Johnson who convinced Niumatalolo to get into coaching when he mentored him as Hawaii's offensive coordinator during the 1980s. It also was Johnson who brought Niumatalolo to Navy ---- twice.

Before the 2007 season began, Gladchuk knew that Johnson's days at the Academy were numbered as bigger schools began targeting him. The AD began thinking about the future and his thoughts kept turning to the loyal offensive line coach.

For nearly a year, Niumatalolo was auditioning for the job as Navy's head coach without even realizing it. Gladchuk paraded him in front of alumni groups, talked to people about him, monitored him closely.

"It basically gave me some time to observe Ken in some situations,'' he said.

"Two things came to mind for me. First, was Ken's character, his values, his leadership qualities. The other thing was keeping the infrastructure of the program together, and Ken was the one who could do that.

"He's been the glue that has kept this thing together.''

Mike Tuiasosopo hired at Colorado

BOULDER - When Colorado enters the Pac-12 Conference next fall, Jon Embree might be leaning a little more heavily on three members of his football staff for premium information on the Buffs' new opponents.

Offensive line coach Steve Marshall, defensive line coach Mike Tuiasosopo and defensive coordinator/secondary coach Greg Brown came to CU from Pac-10 schools, with Tuiasosopo's seven-year tenure at Arizona the longest among the trio.

Embree predicted the threesome's knowledge of the Pac-10, which adds CU and Utah next season, will be "invaluable" to him in terms of fundamental football information and recruiting.

Embree and Tuiasosopo first became acquainted when Embree was recruiting for CU and Tuiasosopo coached at Berkeley (Calif.) High School. Embree helped lure a couple of Tuiasosopo's top players - linebacker Hannibal Navies and defensive back Rashidi Barnes - to Boulder.

But other than turning out good college prospects, Tuiasosospo made an impression on Embree in how he interacted with players and how he didn't bow to then-Oakland Skyline High School coaching legend John Beam.

"At that time, when I went to their school, he was the only coach who wasn't afraid of Skyline," Embree said. "Skyline, hands down, was the school in the Bay Area. But 'Tui' had this competitiveness; he'd say we're going to beat them and get after them . . . he did a great job with those kids."

Embree then followed Tuiasosopo's career stops at Utah State and Utah, watching how Utah State's D-line played against the Buffs in Boulder in 1998. CU won 25-6, but Embree remembers the Buffs surrendering "eight or nine sacks . . . and a lot of it was just the front four. Sometimes sacks can be misleading because of blitzes, but he does a great job of getting pressure with four.

"He was in a program (at Arizona) that's similar to ours. He's not afraid to build, to compete. He never made excuses when I was at UCLA and we were playing. He never said we don't have the guys, we don't have this or that. He always got his players to produce. That was what it was about me wanting to have Mike Tuisasopo on my staff. And he's a heck of a recruiter."

Asked if leaving Arizona to join a first-year head coach's first staff required a leap of faith, Tuiasosopo laughed and answered, "It depends on how you describe a leap of faith. It's not blind faith, I can tell you that. I have great respect for Jon as a person and as a coach. I've always wanted to work with Jon. It's a great opportunity at a great school."

Ex-Cat Salave'a hired to coach D-linemen

Saying he's excited to "have a chance to pay it forward," former Arizona Wildcats and NFL standout Joe Salave'a was hired Thursday to coach defensive tackles at his alma mater.

Salave'a will start Monday, and coach the Wildcats' defensive line in its Dec. 29 Alamo Bowl game against No. 16 Oklahoma State. He replaces Mike Tuiasosopo, who left last week to take a similar job at the University of Colorado.

"I'm humbled but also excited," Salave'a said. "I'm eager to get there, roll up my sleeves and get to work. … It's a great opportunity, and I'm thrilled that Coach (Mike) Stoops has the confidence in me to make this happen."

Salave'a, 35, played for the UA from 1994 to 1997 and spent nine seasons playing for the NFL's Oilers (now Titans), Chargers and Redskins. In 2008, former UA coach Dick Tomey hired Salave'a to coach the defensive line at San Jose State. Salave'a spent two seasons with the Spartans; this summer, he coached with the Seattle Seahawks as part of the NFL's minority internship program.

Like Tuiasosopo, Salave'a - a native of Leone, American Samoa - has connections to many of the country's top Polynesian recruits. He founded the Joe Salave'a Foundation in 2001 to help teach football to children in Hawaii and American Samoa.

Stoops said Thursday that Salave'a "fits what we're doing very well."

"He has a solid history and comes highly recommended," he said. "Joe built a legacy here and in the NFL that will have an immediate impact on our players and in recruiting."

Stoops said he will wait until after the bowl game to replace co-defensive coordinator Greg Brown, who also has accepted a job at CU.

Arizona taps Salave'a to coach D-line

By Ted Miller

Former Arizona and NFL standout Joe Salave'a has been hired to coach the Wildcats' defensive line, replacing Mike Tuiasosopo, who took a job at Colorado.

Salave'a, 35, who played nine years in the NFL, lettered at Arizona as a defensive tackle from 1994-97, serving as team captain in 1996. He earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors in 1995, second-team honors in 1996 and was a first-team selection in 1997.

Salave'a has been out of coaching and football for the past year, living in Las Vegas, but was San Jose State's defensive line coach in 2008 and 2009.

"I'm really excited to have him join the staff," coach Mike Stoops said in a statement. "He fits what we're doing very well. He has a solid history and comes highly recommended. Joe built a legacy here and in the NFL that will have an immediate impact on our players and in recruiting."

A couple of things to like about the hire: 1. Salave'a's recent NFL pedigree will get players' attention, both in recruiting and as a coach; 2. Salave'a, a native of Leone, American Samoa, will keep the Wildcats Polynesian pipeline open in recruiting, just as Tuiasosopo did.

Stoops said his 2011 staff won't be complete until sometime in January. He also needs to replace Greg Brown, the Wildcats' co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, who also left for Colorado.

Salave'a will start Monday and help prepare the Wildcats for their Dec. 29 appearance in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Stoops will take over for Brown in the secondary.

Stoops Brings Salave'a Back into the Family

Nine-year NFL veteran and former Wildcat all-Pac-10 tackle Joe Salave'a has been hired to join Mike Stoops' University of Arizona coaching staff as defensive line coach.

Salave'a, 35, lettered at Arizona as a defense tackle from 1994-97, serving as team captain in 1996. He earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors in 1995, second-team honors in 1996 and was a first-team selection in 1997.

Salave'a has been out of coaching and football for the past year, living in Las Vegas, but most recently was defensive line coach for Dick Tomey at San Jose State in 2008 and 2009. He takes over for seven-year Stoops' defensive line assistant Mike Tuiasosopo, who along with secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator Greg Brown have left UA's program, soon to be announced assuming posts on another Pac-12 staff.

"I'm really excited to have him join the staff," Stoops said. "He fits what we're doing very well. He has a solid history and comes highly recommended. Joe built a legacy here and in the NFL that will have an immediate impact on our players and in recruiting," he said.

"I'm humbled but also excited," Salave'a said. "I'm eager to get there, roll up my sleeves and get to work. You go to a program like the University of Arizona, play some ball and get a degree... and now I have a chance to pay it forward. It's a great opportunity and I'm thrilled that Coach Stoops has the confidence in me to make this happen," Salave'a said.

Stoops said his 2011 staff won't be complete until sometime in January. Salave'a will start Monday and help prepare the Wildcats for their Dec. 29 appearance in the Valero Alamo Bowl, but Stoops still has to fill Brown's vacancy in coaching the secondary, which Stoops will help do for the bowl season. Salave'a was drafted in the fourth round by Tennessee in 1998 and spent five seasons with the Titans, one split year with the Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers (2003) and his final three years in the NFL with the Washington Redskins from 2004-06.

A native of Leone, American Samoa, Salave'a has been one of the territory's foremost football ambassadors promoting the game among Samoan youth, including founding a foundation to help introduce the game and strengthen its appeal.

Salave'a made an immediate impact in his first coaching venture after a noteworthy pro football career. In 2008, he mentored San Jose State Spartans' tackle Jarron Gilbert, the NCAA leader in tackles for loss and the Chicago Bears' first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Salave'a was recruited by then UA head coach Tomey in 1993 and became one of the mainstays of the Wildcat defenses of the mid-1990s at defensive tackle. He was selected team captain and named the team's Most Valuable Player for the 1996 season. Salave'a has the unique distinction of being invited to the East-West Shrine and Hula Bowl All-Star Games after both his third and fourth seasons because he was awarded an additional year of playing eligibility.

His university career was an academic success story as well, capped by NCAA eligibility restoration after he graduated within four years. He enrolled at UA in 1993-94, but was ineligible for football as a partial qualifier, losing the year of eligibility. After his senior year in 1996-97, the NCAA changed its rules in spring 1997, and as a May graduate he was afforded a fourth year of playing eligibility (fifth year in residence), one of the first such student-athletes to benefit under the new rule.

He recorded 157 career tackles at Arizona, all as an interior lineman, with 43.5 tackles for loss, and 21.5 sacks to still rate No. 9 on UA's career sacks chart. He led the team in sacks and tackles for loss in both 1996 and 1997, and in fumbles caused in 1994 and 1996.

His NFL career spanned some 100 games. He was the 107th overall draft selection and a member of the Titans' Super Bowl XXXIV team that lost to St. Louis, 23-16.

He founded the Joe Salave'a Foundation in 2001. The foundation specializes in free football clinics for youngsters in American Samoa and Hawai'i. His work was recognized by Congressman Eni Faleomavaega in a 2005 White House ceremony hosted by President George W. Bush to celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month.

Salave'a and his wife, Josephine, have a daughter, Katalina Elizabeth, and a son, Joseph Fatuimoana Jr.

Joe Salave'a Facts

Born: March 23, 1975 in Leone, American Samoa
College: University of Arizona, 1997
Playing Career: Arizona 1994-97; NFL 1998-2006
Coaching History
2008  San Jose State University, defensive line coach
2009 San Jose State University, defensive line coach
Salave'a in the Postseason

2005 NFC divisional playoffs, Washington Redskins player
2000 AFC divisional playoffs, Tennessee Titans player
1999 NFL Super Bowl, Tennessee Titans player
1998 Hula Bowl, Arizona player
1998 Insight.com Bowl, Arizona player
1997 Hula Bowl, Arizona player

1998 East-West Shrine Game, Arizona player

1994 Freedom Bowl, Arizona player

Arizona's Tuiasosopo to Colorado

Also headed to Colorado is Arizona defensive line coach Mike Tuiasosopo, according to the Arizona Daily Star. Tuiasosopo, 47, is a close friend of Embree's. They met when Tuiasosopo was a high school coach in California and Embree was a CU assistant.

"He recruited a couple of our kids. We stayed friends the entire time," Tuiasosopo said in the interview with the Daily Star. "We both talked about the opportunity to work together at some point in our lives, and that's hard to do in this business."

Brown and Tuiasosopo are expected to join the CU staff by next week. They will not coach for Arizona in the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State.

Tuiasosopo is completing his seventh season at Arizona. During his playing days, he earned all-Columbia Conference as a tackle his junior and senior year at Pacific Lutheran in 1987-88.

"We built a program (at Arizona)," Tuiasosopo said. "That's something we have to go do now at Colorado — build a program, just like we did here."

Read more: Source: Greg Brown returning to CU football staff - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/cu/ci_16816395#ixzz18Mz6AMHS
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Kenndy Pola To Return To USC As Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Coach

July 24, 2010

Kennedy Pola, a former USC player and assistant coach who has spent the past 6 years as an NFL assistant, has agreed to return to USC as the offensive coordinator and running backs coach, Trojan head coach Lane Kiffin announced today (July 24).

"It's great to welcome Kennedy home," said Kiffin. "This is a great opportunity and promotion for him. He's done an outstanding job wherever he's been in college and the NFL. The last time he was here, he helped build the foundation for the championship run of the past 9 years. It's always great to bring another Trojan back to the family, as he's now the fifth former USC player on our staff. He's also the seventh fulltime coach on our staff with NFL coaching experience."

Pola, 46, who joined the Tennessee Titans as the running backs coach following the 2009 season, spent the past 5 season (2005-09) as the running backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. While there, both Fred Taylor (2007) and Maurice Jones-Drew (2009) earned Pro Bowl honors and the Jaguars offense totaled the third most rushing yards in the NFL over that time, including 4 Top 10 rushing finishes. In 2009, Jones-Drew finished fourth in the NFL in rushing (1,391 yards), fourth in scrimmage yards (1,765) and second in total touchdowns scored (16).

He was the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2004.

Pola spent 4 years (2000-03) as an assistant at USC. He was the running backs coach in 2000, spent 2002 as the special teams coordinator, then returned to his running back coaching duties in 2003 and 2004 while also continuing as special teams coordinator.

In 2003, USC's 4 young tailbacks who saw action combined for 1,887 rushing yards (157.3 per game) and 20 rushing TDs (plus 4 receiving TDs and 1 kickoff return TD). Tailback LenDale White's 13 rushing touchdowns were a USC freshman season record. Tom Malone was named USC's first-ever All-American first team punter (he also made All-Pac-10 first team). In 2002, USC 4 tailbacks combined for 1,897 rushing yards (2 were NFL draft picks: Justin Fargas in the third round and Malaefou MacKenzie in the seventh).

In 2001, cornerback Kevin Arbet won All-Pac-10 first team honors as a special teams player and placekicker David Davis led the Pac-10 in field goals (tied for 17th in the nation).

In 2000, tailback Sultan McCullough ran for 1,163 yards.

USC played in the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl, 2003 Orange Bowl and 2004 Rose Bowl.

Pola spent 1999 as the linebackers coach at San Diego State, working under former USC head coach Ted Tollner.

He coached the running backs at Colorado in 1997 and 1998. The 1998 Buffaloes won the Aloha Bowl.

Before that, he spent 3 years (1994 to 1996) as San Diego State's running backs coach, guiding a pair of 1,000-yard rushers (Wayne Pittman in 1994 and George Jones in 1995). Jones, who was 32 yards shy of 1,000 yards in 1996, won All-WAC first team honors in 1995 and played in the NFL with Pittsburgh and Jacksonville. Pola also worked with the Aztecs special teams in 1996 (punter Noel Prefontaine was an All-American first teamer, placekicker Peter Holt was runnerup for the Lou Groza Award given to the nation's top kicker and return specialist Leandrew Childs was an All-WAC first team pick).

Pola was a graduate assistant coach at UCLA in 1992 and 1993, working with the secondary and special teams. The 1993 Bruins played in the Rose Bowl.

He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Crespi High in Encino, Calif., for 3 seasons (1986-88) and then Westlake High in Westlake Village (Calif.) for 3 years (1989-91). Crespi won the 1986 CIF Division I championship and he coached prep All-American running back Russell White, who starred at California.

Pola was a 4-year letterman (1982-85) at USC, playing both fullback and linebacker. He began his Trojan career as a backup linebacker, but was moved to fullback by midseason of his freshman year. He ended up starting there the last 2 games of 1982 against UCLA and Notre Dame, as well as most of the next 3 seasons. In his career, he ran for 681 yards (he also caught 23 passes and in 1983 threw a 65-yard scoring pass against Stanford). He helped USC to a victory over Ohio State in the 1985 Rose Bowl (he also played in the 1985 Aloha Bowl).

He earned his bachelor's degree in history from USC in 1987.

He attended Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., where he was a prep All-American in football (he also was on the basketball and track teams). He also served as the student body president.

His nephew, Troy Polamalu, was a 2-time (2001-02) All-American first team safety on the USC football team who now stars in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers (he was Pittsburgh's first round pick). Kennedy's brother, Ao Polamalu, played football at Penn State (1985-87). Nephew Nicky Sualua played running back in the NFL with Dallas and Cincinnati after attending Ohio State, while 3 other nephews played college football: Leie Sualua was a defensive lineman at Oregon, Joe Polamalu was at Oregon State in 1987 and 1988 and Kaio Aumua played at UTEP.

Pola was born in Pago Pago, American Samoa, on Nov. 22, 1963, the same day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated (Pola was named in his honor).

He and his wife, Diane, have 3 sons: K.C. (Kennedy Christopher), 18, Matthew Aoatoa, 17, and Raymond Trey, 12.

Pola joins linebackers coach Joe Barry, tight ends graduate assistant coach Keary Colbert, defensive assistant Sammy Knight and offensive assistant Lenny Vandermade as former USC players on the Trojan football staff.

In college football, Niumatalolo is a powerful example

By Mike Wise
Saturday, November 28, 2009

I found an old high school scrapbook in the basement last week and turned to the third page of faded newspaper clippings. "Radford 49, Campbell 45," the top of the box score read. The Rams had ended my beloved Sabers' six-game winning streak in Oahu Interscholastic Association basketball play, getting defensive help from a reserve junior guard named Kenny Niumatalolo.

Yes, that Ken Niumatalolo.

"I don't know if those were basketball games when we went to Ewa Beach; it was more like 'MMA' when we played you guys," the Navy Coach said of, uh, skill-challenged Campbell.

As we kept "talking story," a broken-English euphemism for shooting the breeze in the islands, it was easy to forget Niumatalolo is the first man of American Samoan ancestry to be named head coach at any level of college football, an authentic local boy who made good. He returns to his native Hawaii with his 8-3 Midshipmen to face his alma mater Saturday night at Aloha Stadium -- to the same place he once waited hours to catch a glimpse of a Heisman Trophy winner leaving the locker room.

The only reason I know this is because Darren Hernandez and I did the same thing in 1977, waiting forever for Tony Dorsett and Ricky Bell to sign our programs after the Hula Bowl. We then raced against kids from Hawaii Kai and Kahuku on the artificial turf, our programs folded into our back pockets, before taking "The Bus" home to Ewa Beach.

Unless the University of Hawaii scheduled a powerhouse, there were exactly two chances each year to meet a famous football player: Hula and Pro Bowl; that's it.

"I used to do the exact same thing," Niumatalolo said last week. "I still remember waiting for Archie Griffin underneath the dugout of Aloha Stadium. They wouldn't let us down, but I was kind of like leaning down with the top of my head over. I literally yelled, 'Archie Griffin!' It was so cool to talk to a two-time Heisman Trophy winner. I still remember that like it was yesterday."

When Navy employs that misdirection triple-option offense so well, it's fair to ask: How did a sports-addicted kid, raised 2,500 miles from the U.S. mainland, grow up to one day be feted at the White House -- feted, no less, by another overachieving, sports-addicted kid raised 2,500 miles across the Pacific?

"It's mind-boggling to think about sometimes," said Niumatalolo, whose Samoan surname contains six syllables, which might also be a division I first for a coach. "I remember when I was selling newspapers as a young boy for UH games, I remember as a young kid at Aiea Elementary going to Pro Bowl practices and Hula Bowl practices, watching Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach, guys like that. I never thought I'd be a head coach of a division I program."

Let alone one who took over for his triple-option rabbi Paul Johnson, Niumatalolo's former coach at Hawaii, who left for Georgia Tech in 2007. Niumatalolo proceeded to lead Navy to upsets over Wake Forest last season and at Notre Dame this season (the Midshipmen's second victory in South Bend in three years), to consecutive wins over Army and a visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to pick up the Commander-in-Chief's trophy from a Punahou High School grad.

"It was interesting when [President Obama] just came up and said, 'Howzit brah,' " Niumatalolo said when the POTUS extended him a casual island greeting. "Just the way he said it, you realize he's from Hawaii. It's kind of cool to see the leader of the free world say, 'Howzit.' It was like, 'Whoa.' "

Because Niumatalolo was a part of Hawaii's first bowl team in 1989 and his greatest successes in the past 20 years have come in coaching, people forget that he quarterbacked a state championship football team his junior year. The Rams were heavy underdogs and beset by grief after their coach, John Velasco, died suddenly of a heart attack. The funeral was held four days before the OIA championship.

Then and now, football has always carried a grander purpose in his life -- especially in Annapolis, in which six pages of the team's media guide is devoted to genuine "Stadium Battles," from 1918 to Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001.

"I love the leadership part of it, and hopefully helping them grow as men, as husbands, as fathers, as leaders in the Navy and the Marine Corps," Niumatalolo said. "Any component that the football side can help them grow in those aspects, great. I mean, because the football part -- anyone can teach people football.

"It's always tough, knowing that these guys will be in harm's way," he added. "You have great respect for them, because they're going to leave here and go protect us. It's a great honor just to coach them."

He said he plans to see his folks while in Honolulu and take his players to visit the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, about a 20-minute drive from where he starred in high school. And from the now-I-feel-old department, one of his six players from Hawaii, sophomore slotback Aaron Santiago, actually played for that same 13-year-old who collected autographs with me. ("You mean, Coach Hernandez?" Santiago said to me Monday night after practice in Annapolis.)

Mostly, Ken Niumatalolo returns home having broke a significant barrier for many local Hawaiian kids who now can be thought of as more than just exotic-looking, pad-popping football players in the mold of Troy Polamalu.

"Hopefully Polynesian guys won't only be known as football players; I hope they can also be thought of as coaches," said Navy's coach, the best living proof there is.

Wyoming wants a piece of Cougars, and their recruiting turf

By Jay Drew

The Salt Lake Tribune

Laramie, Wyo. » Aside from their once-a-year meetings on the field, football coaches at Wyoming and BYU don't usually see a lot of each other. But that figures to change, now that former Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christensen has taken over the Wyoming program.

No, Christensen doesn't necessarily want to become best friends with BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall and his staff. The reason is because Wyoming has made it clear under Christensen that it intends to recruit the state of Utah more heavily, and that it is going after players of Pacific Island descent like never before.

"We are going to recruit the state of Utah probably more so than [Wyoming coaches] have in the past," Christensen acknowledged. "We have expanded our recruiting base drastically over the last year. We are willing to recruit everywhere and anywhere we can find a kid that fits our system and that can help us win."

The Cowboys (4-4) will have no Utahns on their roster when they take on the Cougars (6-2) Saturday (noon, the Mtn.) at War Memorial Stadium, but that will change in future meetings, coaches from both sides agree.

Jordan High lineman Billy Vavau, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound senior, committed to Wyoming earlier this season, and last year the Cowboys signed Cottonwood's Alo Moli, a defensive back who is currently on an LDS Church mission.

In the past, Wyoming coaches (and other Western States coaches) have avoided recruiting Utah not because the high school talent level is found lacking, but because the state has three Football Bowl Subdivision programs (BYU, Utah, Utah State) and two FCS programs (Weber State, Southern Utah), and beating all five programs for a local is difficult.

But when Christensen took over, one of his first hires was outside linebackers coach Mike Fanoga, a native of American Samoa who has strong ties to Pacific Islander communities in Hawaii, California, Texas, Utah and Las Vegas.

Mendenhall has noticed the difference.

"They are going after Polynesian kids," Mendenhall said. "... The comment was made [to a BYU assistant coach] that Wyoming wants to recruit the Polynesian kids that BYU is recruiting or [players] that they can beat BYU with on the field. So clearly, they are after an improved program, a conference championship, and to play at a very high level. To do that, they probably think they have to improve their recruiting base or talent level."

Mendenhall and BYU recruiting coordinator Paul Tidwell both said they have a lot of respect for Fanoga and his reputation as both a coach and a recruiter. Wyoming's media guide lists Arizona, Hawaii and Utah as Fanoga's recruiting areas.

"I am sure that's one of the reasons for [Christensen] hiring him, because of his Polynesian ancestry," Tidwell said. "But it is also because he is dang good defensive line coach."

Tidwell said Wyoming isn't the only school just now discovering Utah high school talent and Polynesian talent.

Polynesians "are good athletes, and I think we are going to see more and more of them playing Division I football," Tidwell said.

BYU running back Harvey Unga, a Polynesian, said he is "thrilled" to see more schools recruiting players from the Pacific islands.

"I am happy that a lot more Polynesian kids are getting opportunities to go play at different colleges, to get out there and show what they can do," he said. "To go to college and get an education is awesome, as they will find out. So I am proud of those guys."

Spartans coach loses family in tsunami

Associated Press
10/05/09 10:15 PM PDT

SAN JOSE, CALIF. — San Jose State defensive line coach Joe Salave'a got a phone call just as a football staff meeting was breaking up last week. Much of his village, Leone, on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa, was destroyed by a tsunami.

"As they were telling me the bad news my heart was breaking," the former NFL player said Monday. "I had three aunts get caught in the waves and a cousin's body was later found. By some miracle, my brother was found alive."

Salave'a left home in 1989 to play football at the University of Arizona under Dick Tomey. His father was visiting San Jose when their village was hit last week by tsunami waves that resulted from an underwater earthquake with a magnitude of up to 8.3.

The disaster killed 177 people in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.

"After that came more phone calls and I tried to remain calm," Salave'a said. "I knew a lot of people there."

In 2001, when he was playing with the Tennessee Titans, Salave'a created the Joe Salave'a Foundation to promote sports programs in his native land, hosting a series of free football camps among other things.

Salave'a, one of eight children, is in the process of revamping his foundation toward relief efforts. His goal is to personally deliver, along with some of his current San Jose State players, whatever he can raise before the end of the football season.

"When you're faced with tragedy, you retreat to your family," Salave'a said. "Sometimes we get caught up in our own lifestyle but something like this puts things in perspective. The hardest thing I've had to do is call relatives the past couple of days. Those were hard phone calls to make."

Tomey, in his fifth year at San Jose State, coached Salave'a at the University of Arizona.

"This hits you in so many ways," Tomey said. "It's a part of the world that is precious to me. It's such a tight-knitted community. Joe was a pleasure to coach and an outstanding student. He exemplified all the characteristics you look for in football player both on and off the field."

SJSU coach loses family members in tsunami

By Mark Emmons

memmons@mercurynews.com

Posted: 10/05/2009 08:00:21 PM PDT

As the phone calls from home streamed in, the news kept getting worse.

Joe Salave'a, the San Jose State defensive line coach, learned last week that three aunts and a cousin had perished in the devastating tsunami that slammed into his island nation of American Samoa. Other family members are hospitalized.

But there was good news when Salave'a learned that a brother — one of his seven siblings — had been found alive, adrift at sea.

"It's surreal," said Salave'a, 34. "You see it on TV and you never think something like that can happen. But it does."

There's a strong Polynesian flavor throughout the NFL and major-college football.

SJSU alone has 11 players with South Pacific ties. Salave'a, who played for Spartans coach Dick Tomey at Arizona before a nine-year NFL career, is one Samoan whose family tragically was touched by last week's natural disaster that killed more than 170 people in the U.S. territory and other surrounding islands.

His village of Leone is in one of the hardest-hit regions because it directly faced the epicenter of the earthquake that caused the deadly tsunami.

Salave'a is thankful that his father, who holds a tribal leadership position, was in San Jose visiting because "there's no way he would have left his property."

Salave'a has joined his three sisters who also live in San Jose in helping a church-related relief effort.

He also participated on a conference call that included former Philadelphia Eagle Vai Sikahema as the NFL tries to coordinate a relief program with the Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

He intends to restart his personal foundation, which has been dormant since he retired from the NFL, to raise money for survivors.

"Something like this puts everything in perspective," Salave'a said. "You get caught up in the daily chaos of your life.

"But when a disaster like this happens, none of that seems important."

Some battles go beyond the surface at UNLV

LAS VEGAS » The UNLV football team is 1-1 this season as it preps to host Hawaii on Saturday.

Offensive line coach Keith Uperesa, however, remains undefeated. Prostate cancer, diabetes, and then cancer again, this time in his thyroid. All of them took big leads, but none could beat him. You see his huge smile, and it makes you forget momentarily about the even longer surgery scar spanning his neck.

WHEN I talked with him nearly three months ago, before his radiation treatment, Uperesa sounded strong and ready for a fight. Physically, though, the cancers and diabetes had taken their toll on the former Punahou standout. Add the decades of endless football coach work hours and a less-than-ideal diet, and he was very tired.

But he's winning the fight.

Yesterday, after practice at UNLV, Uperesa looked and sounded great. He's lost nearly 40 pounds. The battle's not over and fatigue still gets him now and then, but he's way ahead. The radiation treatment went well, and he returned to work quickly, the third week of July.

"Some blood tests over the next few months," he says. "The prognosis is good."

Just three months ago, UNLV head coach Mike Sanford wasn't concerned about losing his offensive line coach. He was worried about his friend losing his life.

"He's been through a lot, but he's doing better," Sanford said yesterday.

AND UPERESA is there every day for practice. He doesn't put in the insane hours like before (not to say that he won't in the future). And he has help; his wife, Kaipo, joins him each day, driving him in a cart from his office to the field and to the various drill locations so Keith can conserve his energy for the actual coaching.

Uperesa is the reason former Baldwin standout Sean Tesoro is at UNLV. And Uperesa is the reason Tesoro never slacks off.

"If I think practice is bad, I think about what he's going through and it pushes me harder," says Tesoro, who starts at left guard as a freshman.

"He's just a good guy and I felt like I had to be here and be coached by him," he says when asked about being recruited by Uperesa.

FOR THE five players from Hawaii on the UNLV roster, there's no talk about missing local food. This is Las Vegas; you've got everything Hawaii does except for tradewinds and the ocean. But the man who recruited them must mostly do without.

"Two months without seafood. That was tough. ... Rice, I couldn't even eat brown rice for three weeks."

Kaipo says Keith can be very stubborn, but she gets the last word on food. The other day they had short ribs, one of his favorites. But only a small portion.

"I only allow one serving, and he used to be a three-serving guy. Now I fix the plate," she says.

It seems ludicrous to even consider the possibility of two forms of cancer and diabetes as blessings.

But Keith Uperesa is well on his way to 3-0.

"It's been tough, the toughest part is getting my strength back. I have to pace myself," he says.

And, "It's helped change my habits."