The Utah football team will be looking for a new assistant coach after Steve Kaufusi, a seven-year U staffer who oversaw the team’s defensive ends, left the Utes to take a position at his alma mater, BYU.
After earning All-Conference honors on the defensive line for the Cougars through 1987 and playing in the NFL for the next four years, Kaufusi joined the U staff as a graduate assistant in ’94 after earning his bachelor’s degree from the Y that year.
He helped that U team to a best-ever 10-2 record, joined the coaching staff full-time in ’95 and had been a fixture with the Utes ever since.
“Steve did a fine job for us. What he liked about the BYU job was the chance to return to his alma mater and to coach the entire defensive line,” said U head coach Ron McBride. “We appreciate what Steve has contributed to our program and wish him the best of luck in his new job.”
Kaufusi, who coached six All Conference players at the U, was hired by BYU to replace outgoing defensive line coach Tom Ramage, who is retiring after 44 years of coaching, including the last 30 with the Cougars.
For the Utes, assistant Gary Andersen, who previously oversaw just the team’s defensive tackles, will now coach the entire defensive line.
Nevertheless, McBride will seek to fill the vacancy on his existing staff by going after an offensive coach, most likely to oversee either the running backs or wide receivers.
Both those positions were the responsibility of first-year assistant Vincent White, but he dedicated the majority of his attention to the backs, while a grad assistant coached the wideouts.
McBride said going after an offensive assistant, rather than a defensive one, was a move of necessity.
“I will hire a coach on the offensive side of the ball because that’s where our needs lie at this point,” McBride said. “I plan to make a national search for a new assistant coach and will start evaluating candidates after Letter of Intent Day,” which is Feb. 6.
Kaufusi is the older brother of two members of the U team that went 8-4 and won the Las Vegas Bowl this past season. Doug and Jason Kaufusi were both First Team All-MWC this year. Two other Kaufusi brothers, Henry and Jeff, also played for the U during Steve Kaufusi’s tenure here.