Kurt Taufa'asau

Last updated

Kurt Taufa'asau
Current position
Title Head coach
Team New Mexico Highlands
Conference RMAC
Record2–9
Biographical details
Born (1990-09-18) September 18, 1990 (age 34)
Pago Pago, American Samoa
Alma mater University of Wyoming (2012)
Playing career
2009 New Mexico Military
2010–2012 Wyoming
2013 Oakland Raiders*
2013 Tennessee Titans*
2013 Indianapolis Colts*
Position(s) Defensive tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2015 Westlake HS (UT) (DL)
2016–2018 New Mexico Military (DL)
2019–2020New Mexico Military (AHC/DL)
2021–2023New Mexico Military
2024–present New Mexico Highlands
Head coaching record
Overall2–9 (college)
27–10 (junior college)
Bowls1–1 (junior college)
Tournaments2–0 (NJCAA D-I playoffs)
2–0 (SWJCFC playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 NJCAA Division I (2021)
1 SWJCFC (2021)
Awards
First Team All-WSFL (2009)

Kurt Taufa'asau (born September 18, 1990) is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach for New Mexico Highlands University, a position he has held since 2024. [1] [2] [3] He was the head football coach for New Mexico Military Institute from 2021 to 2023. In 2021, he led New Mexico Military to a NJCAA National Football Championship win. [4] [5] [6] [7] He also coached for Westlake High School. [8]

Contents

Taufa'asau played college football for New Mexico Military and Wyoming as a defensive tackle. [9] After going undrafted in the 2013 NFL draft he signed with the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). [10] He also had stints with the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. [3] [6]

Head coaching record

College

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs
New Mexico Highlands Cowboys (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference)(2024–present)
2024 New Mexico Highlands2–92–7T–7th
New Mexico Highlands:2–92–7
Total:2–9

Junior college

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs D1#
New Mexico Military Broncos (Southwest Junior College Football Conference)(2021–2023)
2021 New Mexico Military 12–16–11stW NJCAA Division I Championship 1
2022 New Mexico Military9–35–2T–2ndW HF Sinclair Wool7
2023 New Mexico Military6–64–3T–4thL Xcel Energy Wool
New Mexico Military:27–1015–7
Total:27–10
      National championship        Conference title        Conference division title or championship game berth

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Broncos</span> National Football League franchise in Denver, Colorado

The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquartered in Dove Valley, Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Elway</span> American football player and executive (born 1960)

John Albert Elway Jr. is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 11 years with the Broncos in various front office positions, eventually being promoted to general manager. Elway and former backup quarterback and head coach Gary Kubiak are the only individuals to be associated with all three of the Broncos' Super Bowl wins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mexico Military Institute</span> Public military junior college and high school in Roswell, New Mexico

New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) is a public military junior college and high school in Roswell, New Mexico. Founded in 1891, NMMI operates under the auspices of the State of New Mexico, under a dedicated Board of Regents that reports to the Governor of New Mexico. Located in downtown Roswell, NMMI enrolls nearly 1,000 cadets at the junior college and high school levels each year. NMMI is the only state-supported military college located in the western United States and has many notable alumni who have served at senior levels in the military and private sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Lelie</span> American football player and coach (born 1980)

Ashley Jovon Lelie is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Hawaii Warriors and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft with the 19th overall pick.

Paul Louis Roach was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He was the head football coach of the Wyoming Cowboys from 1987 to 1990, also serving as the University of Wyoming's athletic director from 1986 to 1996.

Austin Patrick King is an American assistant offensive line coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Prior to his coaching career, he was a center in the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Shurmur</span> American football player and coach (born 1965)

Patrick Carl Shurmur is an American football coach who serves as the offensive coordinator at the University of Colorado Boulder. Prior to joining the staff at Colorado, he most recently served as the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 2020 to 2021. A 32-year coaching veteran, Shurmur has 21 seasons of NFL experience, including the last 11 years as a head coach or offensive coordinator. Shurmur has four years of experience as a head coach, working in that role with the New York Giants from 2018 to 2019 and with the Cleveland Browns from 2011 to 2012. He also served as interim head coach for Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the 2015 season. He has been an offensive coordinator for seven seasons, previously coaching in that role with the Minnesota Vikings (2016–2017), Philadelphia Eagles (2013–2015) and the St. Louis Rams (2009–2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose State Spartans football</span> Football team of San Jose State University

The San Jose State Spartans football team represents San José State University in NCAA Division I FBS college football as a member of the Mountain West Conference. Since its first regular season in 1898, the team has produced over 90 All-America team members, won 18 conference championships, and sent 139 players to the NFL, including Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Bill Walsh and Dick Vermeil. The Spartans head coach is Ken Niumatalolo.

The AFCA Coach of the Year Award is given annually to college football coaches by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Separate awards are presented at all levels of U.S. college football. The AFCA as a whole presents the award for the four divisions of NCAA football—Division I FBS, Division I FCS, Division II, and Division III—plus the NAIA. The AFCA's section for community and junior colleges presents an identical award to a head coach at a two-year institution. The award has had several different sponsors over the years, including Eastman Kodak Corporation, and thus also been named the Kodak Coach of the Year Award.

Richard Kyes "Rik" Bonness is an American former professional football player who was linebacker for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football as a center for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, earning consensus All-American honors in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Case Cookus</span> American gridiron football player (born 1995)

Stephen Case Cookus, nicknamed the Chef, is an American professional football quarterback who is a free agent. As a true freshman at Northern Arizona University, he was named the recipient of the 2015 Jerry Rice Award and the STATS FCS Freshman Player of the Year Award, both of which are awarded to the most outstanding freshman player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. He holds the record for most combined passing and rushing touchdowns in a USFL game with five, which he accomplished in a game against the Michigan Panthers on June 5, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Morris (Canadian football)</span> Canadian football player (born 1992)

Greg Morris is a Canadian former professional football running back who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at New Mexico Military Institute. He also played junior football for the Westshore Rebels of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garett Bolles</span> American football player (born 1992)

Garett Bolles is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes, and was selected by the Broncos in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

Netane Muti is a Tongan professional American football guard for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Fresno State.

Jacob Bobenmoyer is an American professional football long snapper for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Northern Colorado.

David Ziegler is an American football executive who currently serves as a personnel advisor for the New Orleans Saints. He began his career as a scout for the Denver Broncos in the early 2010s before becoming a senior personnel executive for the New England Patriots. Ziegler also worked two seasons as general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders in the early 2020s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diego Pavia</span> American football player (born 2001)

Diego Pavia is an American football quarterback for the Vanderbilt Commodores. He previously played for New Mexico Military Institute and New Mexico State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Palczewski</span> American football player (born 1999)

Alex Andrzej "Palcho" Palczewski is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Palczewski played college football at Illinois where he was named a college football All-American for the 2022 season.

The 2021 New Mexico Military Broncos football team was an American football team that represented the New Mexico Military Institute as a member of the Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) during the 2021 junior college football season. In their first year under head coach Kurt Taufa'asau, the Broncos compiled a 12–1 record, defeated Iowa Western in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I championship game, and won the NJCAA National Football Championship.

The 2023 junior college football season was the season of intercollegiate junior college football running from September to December 2023. The season ended with three national champions: two from the National Junior College Athletic Association's (NJCAA) Division I and Division III and one from the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A).

References

  1. "New Mexico Highlands hires NMMI's Taufa'asau as head football coach". Albuquerque Journal. May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  2. Webber, Will (May 29, 2024). "Highlands names NMMI coach to football post". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Kurt Taufa'asau Named NMHU Head Football Coach". New Mexico Highlands University Athletics. May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  4. "New Mexico Military Institute's Kurt Taufa'asau Selected as 2021 ACCFCA Coach of the Year - AFCA". www.afca.com. December 22, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  5. "Taufa'asau garners DI Coach of the Year honors". NJCAA. December 22, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Kurt Taufa'asau named ACCFCA Coach of the Year, Broncos tab postseason honors". New Mexico Military Institute. December 22, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  7. Beltran, Blynn (January 15, 2022). "Taufa'asau leads Broncos to first National Championship". Roswell Daily Record. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  8. "New Mexico Military Institute". New Mexico Military Institute. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  9. "Kurt Taufa'asau - Football". University of Wyoming Athletics. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  10. Damien, Levi (May 6, 2013). "Raiders UDFA profile: Kurt Taufa'asau". Silver And Black Pride. Retrieved May 30, 2024.