CEDAR CITY -- Just a few short weeks after being named head coach at Southern Utah University, Gary Andersen knew just where to look to find top-notch coaches who would help elevate the SUU football program. Andersen recently announced former Cougars Kalani Sitake and Aaron Roderick have joined the Thunderbird coaching staff. Sitake will be responsible for coaching running backs, while Roderick will serve as the passing coordinator, quarterbacks and receivers coach.
"When I came to SUU to interview, these were the guys I had in mind," Andersen said. I feel fortunate to have them on board. I think we've put together a great staff with experience in the areas we need as far as the positions go."
Roderick, a 1998 BYU graduate, spent last season at Snow College as the running backs coach. Prior to his stint in Ephriam, Roderick served as a graduate assistant coach on the BYU staff from 1999-2001. Roderick was a two-time Academic All-WAC selection at BYU, and earned NJCAA All-America honors as a receiver at Ricks College.
Sitake, a 2000 graduate of Brigham Young University, played fullback between 1994-2000, recording over 900 yards of total offense. After his final season at BYU, he served as an assistant coach at Eastern Arizona College, coaching defensive backs and special teams coordinator. This past season, Sitake served as a graduate assistant on the BYU staff, working primarily with the offensive scout team.
"Being in BYU's system as a player and graduate assistant, Kalani brings a lot of knowledge of the offensive system we want to run," Andersen said. "He's a good coach and a great recruiter with great ties to the Polynesian community, not only in Salt Lake City, but in Hawaii, Tonga and Samoa. Kalani is an excellent addition to our staff."