PROVO — BYU's matchup versus Utah State this Saturday brings with it a lot of memories for Cougar players and coaches, but perhaps none so much as BYU coach Ilaisa Tuiaki. No, the Cougars' defensive coordinator has never played for either side in the rivalry game, but has ties to the Aggie program no one else on BYU's current team can match.
As a young 31-year old, Utah State granted Tuiaki his first college coaching job back in 2009. He spent the year prior as a graduate assistant at Utah and coached the running backs and special teams during his three years in Logan.