Former BYU quarterback Ty Detmer receives the 1990 Heisman Trophy. Detmer returns to BYU as the offensive coordinator. (Twitter/@TyDetmer14)
New head coach Kalani Sitake isn't the only coach with ties to Provo, having announced Thursday afternoon BYU legend and Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer as the offensive coordinator and Provo native Ilaisa Tuiaki as the defensive coordinator.
“It’s an honor to announce Ty Detmer and Ilaisa Tuiaki as the offensive and defensive coordinators on our coaching staff at BYU,” Sitake said in a statement. “Each has an exceptional football mind and a real passion to help our young men succeed on and off the football field. I am looking forward to working with them as we complete our staff and prepare our team for the 2016 season.”
Detmer joins Sitake as another link connecting past eras of the BYU football program with the present.
“My family and I are extremely excited to be part of the football program at BYU again,” Detmer said. “I feel it is the right time to make a move and jump in head first. I couldn’t be more excited.”
The 1990 Heisman Trophy winner has yet to coach at the college level but boasts an impressive resume. At the end of his BYU career (1987-1991), Detmer held 59 NCAA records and tied three others. He was also a consensus All-American two years in a row in 1990 and 1991. Detmer was later inducted into the BYU Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2012 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Detmer played 14 seasons (1992-2005) with five teams in the NFL after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1992. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons. He was Brett Favre's back-up quarterback when he played for the Packers and later played as Steve Young's back-up with the 49ers. Detmer accumulated 6,351 total yards passing, 34 touchdowns and 35 interceptions during his NFL career. He started in 25 of the 54 games in which he played.
Detmer has coached high school football at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Texas since December 2009. Detmer's 2015 team is 8-1 this season. The Texas native and his wife Kim have four daughters.
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Ilaisa Tuiaki was an assistant coach at Oregon State with Kalani Sitake. He follows Sitake to BYU and will be the defensive coordinator. (Oregon State Athletics)
Tuiaki played for Timpview High School, Snow College and Southern Utah University.
“I am excited to be back home,” Tuiaki said. “I’ve always been a fan and tied to the BYU program growing up just down the street from the stadium. I’m grateful to the Oregon State family and for Coach Andersen and everything he’s done for my career. I am really looking forward to this new opportunity to work with Kalani and help the great young men at BYU reach their goals.”
Tuiaki follows Sitake to BYU from Oregon State, where he coached linebackers and special teams. He brings with him eight years of college coaching experience, having coached under Gary Andersen at Utah, Utah State and OSU.
He was nominated for the Broyles Award in 2013, an award given to the nation's top assistant coach. Tuiaki was the only non-coordinator to be nominated, and was also a 2014 top-five finalist for the Football Scoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year honor.
He and his wife Viola have six children, three sons and three daughters.
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Sitake is still in the process of filling out the rest of his coaching staff, with more announcements expected after Christmas.