Jan. 5, 2006
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Five returnees and two newcomers are on the coaching staff announced by new Western Washington University football coach Robin Ross.
Ross will add two-to-three more assistants in the coming weeks.
Returning are Eric Tripp, Zachary Tinker, Adam Mathieson, Legi Suiaunoa, and Jon Lyon.
The newcomers are former Western players Nate Kuhns and Greg Malo. Malo most recently was an assistant at NCAA Division I-A Louisiana Tech.
Tripp, who enters his 14th season as a Western assistant, will serve as offensive coordinator and move to coaching quarterbacks after working with wide receivers the last 12 years. He is also Strength and Fitness Coordinator for Western athletics.
Mathieson, in his third season with Western, will be Special Teams Coordinator and coach linebackers. He was a quarterbacks coach last season.
Tinker, who will be in his fourth year, returns as offensive line coach.
Suiaunoa and Lyon both enter their second year on the staff. Suiaunoa will coach defensive ends, and Lyon, a graduate assistant, the tight ends.
Malo has been at Louisiana Tech the last six seasons, spending three years each coaching running backs and linebackers. He also coached two seasons at College of the Sequoias in California, and played three years as a free safety with the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe. He will serve as Recruiting Coordinator and coach the secondary.
Kuhns, a four-year letter winner as a Western slotback in 2000-03, will be the wide receivers coach.
Tinker, Malo and Mathieson played for Ross when he was Western's defensive coordinator in 1994 and 1995. The Vikings led NAIA Division II in scoring defense in 1994.
WWU's Ross begins filling out coaching staff
JOE SUNNEN, THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
The coaching staff of the Western Washington University football team will have a few new people next season, but it won't be the first time they've walked the sidelines for the Vikings.
A pair of former players, Greg Malo and Nate Kuhns, will join five returning assistant coaches as Western begins its first season under ne WWU coach Robin Ross, the school announced on Thursday.
"A lot of the staff has ties to Western, and I think keeping that continuity is important," Ross said in a phone interview. "That's something the kids worry about when you bring in new coaches, and we wanted to keep that continuity, especially on the offense side."
Malo and Kuhns join current assistants Eric Tripp, Zachary Tinker, Adam Mathieson, Lawrence Suiaunoa and Jon Lyon on the coaching staff.
Malo, from Bellevue, played safety at Western from 1991-94 before spending three seasons with the Barcelona Dragons in NFL Europe. He spent the past six seasons coaching at Louisiana Tech. He will assume the recruiting coordinator duties from Tinker and coach the secondary.
Kuhns was a four-year letter winner at slot back with Western from 2000-03 and also played professional baseball for the River City Rascals, and independent Frontier League team in St. Louis. Kuhns assumes the wide receiver coaching duties.
Along with the new additions to the coaching staff, several current coaches will be taking on new duties this season. Mathieson moves from quarterback's coach to linebackers and special teams coordinator while Tripp takes over the quarterback duties. Tripp also will handle all of the offensive play calling as the offensive coordinator. Suiaunoa moves from the linebackers to defensive ends.
Tinker, Malo and Mathieson played for Ross when he was the team's defensive coordinator in 1994 and 1995.
The coaches not returning from last season are defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach John Ely, defensive line coach George Booker, defensive ends coach Aleki Pascua, and running backs coach Jeff Phillips. Ross will be the team's defensive coordinator.
"I just don't think it's fair to ask someone else to coordinate the defense that I want to run," Ross said. "It allows me to get involved the way that I want to be involved. And that way if it doesn't work, I'm responsible. Just like I would be ultimately anyway."
Ross said the team will likely add a running backs coach and a defensive line coach in the coming weeks.
The Vikings open the 2006 season on Sept. 2 against Humboldt State in California.
Nate Kuhns (pronounced Coons) - Wide Receivers
In first year as assistant at Western ... Works with wide receivers ... Four-year letter winner as wide receiver for Vikings (2000-2003) ... Had career totals of 73 catches for 775 yards and 6 touchdowns ... First-team Washington Prep Football Report Class 4A and Tacoma News Tribune all-State choice as senior at Eisenhower High School in Yakima ... Listed among Seattle Times Top 100 (white chip) state high school seniors ... Played in East-West all-star game ... Led league in receiving as senior with 49 catches for 1,004 yards and 14 touchdowns (84 points) ... Also standout baseball player ... Played professionally last summer in Frontier League with River City Rascals (St. Louis, MO) and Mid-Missouri Mavericks (Columbia, MO) ... Also played three years of semi-pro ball, one with Yakima Knights and two with Seattle Studs ... Attended Lewis-Clark State College, earning letters as pitcher in 2004 and 2005 ... Played on Warrior teams that had respective records of 52-10 and 47-9 and reached NAIA World Series both years ... First-team all-state selection as senior and second-team all-Big 9 League choice as junior and senior ... Completing bachelor's degree in industrial design ... 23 years old.
Greg Malo (pronounced MAH-low) - Recruiting Coordinator/Secondary
In first year as assistant at Western ... Recruiting Coordinator and works with defensive secondary ... Spent last six years as assistant at NCAA I-A Louisiana Tech University ... Coached outside linebackers for this past season after working with running backs the previous three seasons ... Was linebackers coach for two years as graduate assistant ... Prior to coming to Louisiana Tech, coached at College of the Sequoias (Calif.), serving as defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator in 1998 and 1999 ... In 1998, the Giants posted a 9-1 record, were ranked among the top 10 nationally, and won the Central Valley Conference title before losing to San Francisco City College in the Northern California Junior College championship game ... Served as defensive backs coach in 1997 at national high school powerhouse Santa Margarita in southern California where the Eagles posted a perfect 14-0 record and won the CIF Southern Section championship ... Also worked with the defensive backs in 1995 at Western as graduate assistant, the Vikings posting a perfect 9-0 regular season mark and being ranked No.1 nationally before losing to eventual national champion Central Washington in the playoffs ... Lettered four years and started three at Western from 1991 to 1994, earning first-team all-Columbia Football Association honors as senior free safety ... That season, Western boasted the No.1 scoring defense in the country and lost in the national quarterfinals, finishing 8-3 ... Played with the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe for three years as free safety, earning NFLE Player of the Week honors three times and helping Dragons to 1997 World Bowl title ... Earned bachelor's degree in exercise science from Western in 1995, and master's degree in sports science from Louisiana Tech in 2001 ... He and wife Megan have two sons, Timothy 4 and Max 1 ... 33 years old.
Adam Mathieson - Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers
In third year as assistant on Western staff ... Assumes Special Teams Coordinator duties this season and will work with linebackers after being quarterbacks coach last year ... Head coach at Ferndale High School in 2003, directing Golden Eagles to 9-2 record, Northwest League title and quarterfinal round of Class 3A state playoffs ... Team received John R. Trotto Team Sportsmanship Award ... Named Washington State Football Coaches Association District 1 and Northwest League Coach of the Year ... Assistant coach at FHS previous four years and assisted in track for four seasons ... Also was football assistant one year at Squalicum High School in Bellingham ... Completed master's degree in education (guidance and counseling) from City University in 2004 ... Received bachelor's degree in history from Western in 1999 and obtained teaching certificate in 2000 ... Three-year letter winner at Western, starting as free safety as senior in 1997 ... Credited with 33 tackles and intercepted two passes ... As junior, helped Vikings to 11-2 record and NAIA Division II National Championship game .... Honorable mention all-Greater Spokane League pick as junior at North Central High School in Spokane ... Married to former Jenny Erickson ... 30 years old.
Zachary Tinker - Offensive Line
In fourth year as assistant on Western staff and second season working with offensive line ... Last year, center Loren Winter received All-American recognition ... Coached tight ends previous two seasons, Rick Carte being named first-team Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-star each year ... Assisted four seasons at Meridian High School, working with offensive and defensive line ... Trojans won Class 2A state championship in 1999 and placed second in 2000 ... Graduated from Western with bachelor's degree in political science in 1998 and has completed course work for master's degree in secondary education ... Played football for Vikings from 1995-98 ... Inspirational award winner as senior ... Also attended Washington State University ... Second-team Everett Herald all-Area and first-team all-Western Conference selection as senior at Seattle's Shorewood High School ... Named Thunderbirds' co-Athlete of the Year ... 31 years old ... He and wife Marnie have two children, son Joey 13 and daughter Julianna 5.
Eric Tripp - Offensive Coordinator/Strength Coach/Quarterbacks
In 14th year at Western ... Offensive Coordinator and Strength Coach ... Works with quarterbacks ... Director of Parberry Strength and Fitness Center ... Has worked with wide receivers last 12 years, coaching three All-Americans, after one year with tight ends ... Assistant at Thurston High School in Springfield, Ore., for one year and head coach at Deary (Id.) High School for one season, directing Mustangs to state semifinals ... Named Whitepine League Coach of the Year ... Also assisted one year at Deary and two seasons at Ferndale High School, helping Golden Eagles to semifinals of Class AA state playoffs in 1987 ... Received bachelor's degree in education at Western in 1989 ... Did not play for Vikings because of knee injury ... Two-sport athlete at Bellevue's Newport High School ... Captain and quarterback of football team that reached first round of Class AAA state playoffs in 1983 ... Infielder/catcher on baseball team that won state title in 1982 ... 41 years old ... He and wife Erin have two daughters, Chloe 8 and Rayn 5.
LAWRENCE "LEGI" SUIAUNOA (pronounced Sue-ee-awe-no-ah) - Defensive Ends
In second year as assistant at Western ... Works with defensive ends after coaching linebackers last season ... Graduate assistant at University of Nevada in 2004, working with secondary ... Linebacker coach previous two years at Palomar College in San Marcos, Calif. ...Comets were 8-3 in 2003, reaching first round of Southern California JC playoffs and were 10-1 in 2002, winning Mission Conference championship and finishing fourth nationally in final JC Grid-Wire Poll, forcing league-record 46 turnovers ... Received bachelor's degree in General Studies Administration from Nevada in 2002 ... Starting linebacker in football three years for Wolfpack ... Coaches Award winner in 2001 ... Also played one season at Palomar, earning all-conference honors ... Attended El Camino High School in Oceanside, Calif. ... Lettered three years in three sports ... Second-team all-State, first-team all-County and first-team all-league as senior in football ... Helped Wildcats to state playoffs every year, reaching semifinals as senior ... In basketball, helped ECHS to three straight league undefeated seasons, reaching state semifinals as senior ... Also standout in track ... 27 years old.
Jon Lyon - Graduate Assistant, Tight Ends
In second year as graduate assistant at Western ... Works with tight ends ... Obtained bachelor's degree in sociology at University of Washington in spring of 2005 ... Two-year football letter winner for Huskies ... Played in eight games in 2004, making 6 catches for 62 yards, and saw action in 12 contests in 2003 with 17 receptions for 231 yards ... Presented Husky Fever 12th Man Award for Offensive Player ... Also played two years at Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo, Calif. ... Helped Gauchos to 9-2 record as sophomore, including 35-28 overtime victory against Cerritos in Strawberry Bowl ... Second-team All-America pick by JC Grid-Wire Magazine ... Caught 29 passes for 464 yards and 3 touchdowns ... First-team Mission Conference all-star and JCFootball.com preseason All-American ... All-league pick in both football and baseball at Carmel (Calif.) High School ... 25 years old.
