Doug Elisaia (pronounced ell-ee-sy-a), a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, is in his 17th year at Utah in 2021.
Elisaia spent one year as Utah’s assistant strength coach before his promotion to director of sports performance in 2006.
Elisaia joined the Utes after three years on the Kentucky strength and conditioning staff from 2002-04, where he worked with the football and baseball teams.
From 2000-01, he was employed by Wayne State as the defensive line coach and football team’s strength and conditioning coach. He served in a similar capacity at McPherson College for the 1998-99 seasons.
Elisaia played defensive tackle at Iowa Wesleyan from 1991-95 and led the team in tackles as a senior while earning NAIA Academic All-America honors. The three-year team captain graduated in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a minor in athletic training and coaching.Â
Born in Redwood City, Calif., Elisaia was raised in Pago Pago, American Samoa. As a senior at Leone High School, he was named the American Samoa High School Athletics Association’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He was recognized by the government of American Samoa as the Outstanding Offensive Lineman at the Samoan Goodwill Games, held in Honolulu.
The 48-year-old Elisaia and his wife Leata have four children: daughters Safua, Seleisa and Colleen; and son, Samu. Safua played volleyball at the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco, Seleisa plays volleyball at CSU Bakersfield and Samu played football at Utah.