Years at BYU
2022-present
Years Overall
2015-21, 22-present
Coaching Experience
- 2026-present, BYU associate head coach
- 2022-present, BYU defensive tackles coach
- 2018-21, Utah defensive tackles coach
- 2018, Navy defensive tackles coach
- 2017, Utah director of player development
- 2015-16, Utah student assistant coach
Bowl Games Coached
- 2019 Alamo Bowl, 2018 Holiday Bowl, 2016 Foster Farms Bowl, 2015 Las Vegas Bowl
Coaching Notes
- Came to BYU to be on Kalani Sitake’s staff in December of 2022 as BYU prepared to enter the Big 12 Conference in 2023. A great technician and teacher, heis a natural leader on and off the field who has a great understanding of the game up front as a longtime NFL defensive tackle and a defensive line coach at Navy, Utah and BYU.
- Has helped BYU in its first three years in the Big 12 Conference achieved a 28-11 (.718) record under Kalani Sitake, including a 23-4 (.852) resume the past two seasons while finishing tied atop the conference standings and earning bowl victories in back-to-back years.
- Contributed to BYU producing one of the nation’s top overall defenses, consistently ranking in the top 20 in many different statistical categories.
- BYU's defense produced eight top-25 defensive outcomes in 2025, including No. 6 in red zone defense (70.4%) and red zone TD defense (40.7%), No. 7 in interceptions (17), No. 10 in defensive TDs (3), No. 14 in turnovers gained (24), No. 19 in scoring defense (19.1 ppg), No. 19 in third down defense (33%), and No. 25 in pass efficiency defense (116.97 rating).
- In 2025, BYU registered 30 sacks as a team, the most since 2015.
- In 2024, BYU's defense ranked No. 1 with 22 interceptions while ranking No. 3 in pass efficiency defense (105.91), No. 4 in turnovers gained (29), No. 13 in total defense (308.8 ypg), No. 14 in first down defense (17.0), No. 18 in scoring defense (19.6 ppg), No. 20 in passing defense (182.5 ypg).
- The Cougar defense contributed eight total defensive touchdowns from 2023-2025.
- With his NFL experience, Po’uha has helped transform BYU’s defensive tackle unit the last three seasons. The Cougar defense has started in the middle with stout playmaking from tackles Jackson Cravens, Caden Haws and Atunaisa Mahe, ends-turned interior linemen John Nelson and Blake Mangelson in 2023 and 2024 and then took another step forward in 2025 with John Taumoepeau and Keanu Tanuvasa leading the charge.
- BYU’s run defense ranked No. 31 in 2025 (122.7 ypg) and No. 33 in 2024 (126.31).
- Under Po'uha's tutelage, defensive tackle Leki Fotu earned All-America Second Team honors from Walter Camp and FWAA, and third-team accolades from AP, while earning his second-consecutive first-team All-Pac-12 recognition
- John Penisini also earned second-team All-Pac-12. Fotu was drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by Arizona, and Penisini was selected in the sixth round by Detroit
- Junior Tafuna was named the 2021 Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.
- In 2019 Po'uha was part of a defensive staff when Utah ranked No. 2 in the FBS in total defense that season and held six opponents to seven points or fewer, the most by an FBS team since 2006
- The Utes had the No. 3 rushing defense in the FBS and recorded the best statistical season by a conference team in the Pac-12 era in three categories: total yards (269.2), rushing yards (81.8) and points allowed (15.0)
- The Utes finished a shortened 2020 season leading the Pac-12 in rushing defense and second in the league in total defense, holding opponents to just 107.8 rushing yards per game, which ranked No. 11 nationally
- In 2021, Utah earned the program’s first Pac-12 championship and berth in the Rose Bowl, going 10-4 on the season. Utah’s defensive front helped the Utes rank No. 19 in the nation that season in rush defense (119.4 ypg), No. 19 in sacks (3.00) and No. 21 in tackles for loss (6.9)
Playing Career
- As a player, Po’uha completed his four-year career at Utah as a first-team All-Mountain West defensive lineman for the program’s undefeated Fiesta Bowl champion team in 2004
- Played eight years in the NFL
- Selected in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft by the New York Jets and played in 106 games with 55 starts from 2005-12, accumulating 263 career tackles
Education
- Utah, bachelor's degree in sociology in 2016
Hometown
- Salt Lake City, Utah
Personal/Family
- Served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- He and his wife Keiti have four children, sons Viliami and Sonasi and daughters Leilani and Kesaia