From Oregon AD: Lanning Adds Tony Tuioti As Defensive Line Coach

[Charles Fischer]

(Press Release from Oregon Athletics)

 

EUGENE, Ore. — Head coach Dan Lanning has officially announced the addition of Tony Tuioti as Oregon football’s new defensive line coach.

 

Tuioti is the second hiring of the day for Lanning, who earlier on Thursday named Demetrice Martin cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator. Lanning announced Kenny Dillingham as the Ducks’ new offensive coordinator and Matt Powledge as co-defensive coordinator last week.

 

“I am thrilled to have Tony Tuioti joining us here at Oregon,” Lanning said. “He is one of the top defensive line coaches in the country, and he has a tremendous track record both in recruiting and player development. His experience coaching at the NFL and Power 5 levels will be a huge asset to our coaching staff, and his connection and familiarity with the West Coast, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands is extremely valuable.”

 

“Coach Tuioti is a terrific teacher, and I know our student-athletes are going to absolutely love working with him. Family is extremely important to him, and that really stood out during this process and made it clear he is a great fit for this program. I am honored to welcome Tony and his wife, Keala, their three daughters, Teisa, Teiyana, and Teinia, and their four sons, Teivis, Teilor, Teitum, and Teimana, to the Oregon family.”

 

 

Tuioti comes to Oregon from Nebraska, where he spent the last three seasons as the Huskers’ defensive line coach. Tuioti has also coached at California (2017-18) and Hawaii (2000-01, 2010-15), and he worked as the director of player personnel at both Hawaii (2008-09) and Michigan (2016). Tuioti also has experience coaching in the NFL, spending two seasons as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns (2014-15), and he was a head coach early in his career at Kalaheo High School in Hawaii.

 

“My family and I are extremely excited and blessed to have the opportunity to work at the University of Oregon,” Tuioti said, “a place with great fans, a winning tradition, and a national brand! Coach Lanning is a great defensive minded coach and I can’t wait to get started working with the staff and getting to know and serve the young men in the program. Go Ducks!”

 

­­Tuioti coached two defensive linemen to all-Big Ten accolades in his first season at Nebraska in 2019, and all three of his starters were on active NFL rosters in 2020. That 2019 Huskers defense held three opponents to less than 90 rushing yards and three teams to less than 100 passing yards, while Tuioti’s defensive line combined for 32.0 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks.

 

Tuioti quickly re-tooled the defensive line in 2020, with the Huskers lowering their yards allowed per rush from 4.82 to 4.17. Tuioti maintained that progress in 2021, with Nebraska allowing 4.16 yards per rush. Highly regarded as a recruiter, Tuioti also helped Nebraska sign a top-25 recruiting class in 2021.

 

 

Prior to going to Nebraska, Tuioti helped orchestrate an impressive defensive turnaround at Cal, coaching the outside linebackers in 2017 and the defensive line in 2018. The 2017 Golden Bears improved by an average of 40 spots in the 15 primary team defensive statistical categories from the previous year, with Tuioti’s outside linebacker group combining for 11.0 sacks.

 

Tuioti helped Cal rank in the top 10 nationally in passing defense, interceptions, takeaways, and defensive touchdowns in 2018, while also finishing in the top 20 in total defense, pass efficiency defense, and first downs allowed. Tuioti’s defensive line unit played a big role in the dramatic turnaround, with the three starters combining for 123 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks.

 

Tuioti spent the 2016 season as Michigan’s director of player personnel, where helped the Wolverines land in the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation in the midst of a 10-3 season. He also played a critical role in developing the relationships for a satellite camp tour in the summer of 2016 that included American Samoa, Australia and Hawaii among nearly 40 locations.

 

Before returning to the college ranks, Tuioti served as the assistant defensive line and quality control coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2014 and 2015. In Tuioti’s first season, Cleveland led the NFL in opponent completion percentage, opposing quarterback passer rating, and passes defended, while also ranking second in interceptions.

 

A 2000 graduate from Hawaii, Tuioti got his start in coaching at his alma mater as a graduate assistant in 2000-01. He returned to Hawaii seven years later, working as the director of player personnel in 2008-09 before coaching the defensive line in 2010-11 and the linebackers in 2012-13.

 

 

Hawaii led the nation in takeaways in Tuioti’s first season as defensive line coach, with his unit producing 22.5 of the team’s 30 sacks. With Tuioti coaching the linebackers in 2012, the Rainbow Warriors ranked 11th nationally in pass defense.

 

Before returning to his alma mater, Tuioti served as the head coach for Kalaheo High School. After inheriting a winless team, he led the Mustangs to their first playoff appearance as the youngest varsity head coach in the state. Tuioti moved to Las Vegas to pursue a second master’s degree following two seasons at Kalaheo, and he returned to coaching in 2007 as the defensive coordinator for a Silverado High School team that went undefeated in the regular season.

 

Tuioti was a key leader for Hawaii as a defensive lineman, earning honorable mention all-WAC honors as a junior and senior while helping the Rainbow Warriors go from 0-12 to 9-4 and a share of the conference title. He is one of two Rainbow Warriors to win a WAC championship as both a player (1999) and a coach (2010).

 

Tuioti earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Hawaii in 2000, and added a master’s degree in education administration in 2002. He completed work on a second master’s degree in special education from UNLV in 2007.