Recruiting Areas: Colorado (northeast and southeast), Nevada, Utah
Opetaia Tuiava joined the staff as a defensive assistant in fall 2018, returning to his native Colorado after coaching at Lindenwood (Ill.) for the past two seasons. Tuiava was in charge of the defensive line in 2018 and was the assistant defensive backs coach in 2017, in addition to assisting with special teams and academic support. He also worked with admissions during that time while pursuing his masters in education administration. Tuiava also recently completed the Bill Walsh Minority Internship with the Houston Texans this summer, attending OTAs in June 2018 and assisting in defensive line drills and practice and film breakdown. Tuiava began his coaching career with the Falcon School District in Colorado Springs as the defensive line coach from 2014 to 2016, and played at Saint Mary (Kan.) where he was a two-time all-conference selection and 2012 NAIA Champions of Character nominee; he earned his B.A. in education from Saint Mary in 2013.
