Upcoming Event: Football versus No. 17 Texas Tech on September 20, 2025 at 10 a.m.
10 a.m.
Football
vs No. 17 Texas Tech
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Football
Po'uha, Sione
Sione Po'uha
- Title:
- Defensive Tackles
Defensive Tackles
3rd Year
Former Ute and NFL defensive tackle Sione Po’uha (pronounced see-oh-nee bo-oo-ha) enters his third year as the defensive tackles coach in 2021. He made his return to the Utes in December of 2018 after spending the 2018 season as the defensive tackles coach at Navy.
Po’uha joined the Utah staff during preparations for the Holiday Bowl against Northwestern and coached in the game later that month.
In 2019 Po'uha was part of a defensive staff that led the Utes to one of the most successful seasons in school history. Utah ranked No. 2 in the FBS in total defense and held six opponents to seven points or fewer, most by an FBS team since 2006. The Utes, the No. 3 rushing defense in the FBS, recorded the best statistical season by a conference team in the Pac-12 era in three categories: total yards (269.2), rushing yards (81.8) and points allowed (15.0) in 2019. Under Po'uha's tutelage, defensive tackle Leki Fotu earned second-team All-America honors from Walter Camp and FWAA, and third-team from AP, while earning his second consecutive first-team All-Pac-12 nod. John Penisini earned second-team All-Pac-12.
The Utes also finished a shortened 2020 season leading the Pac-12 in rushing defense and second in the league in total defense, holding opponents to just 107.8 rushing yards per game.
The former NFL star has been successful in grooming future NFL talent, with Fotu drafted in the fourth round in 2020 by Arizona and Penisini selected in the sixth round by Detroit.
The Salt Lake City native spent two years as a Utah student-assistant coach in 2015-16 while completing his undergraduate degree in sociology. He was Utah’s director of football player development in 2017 before leaving for his first full-time coaching position, with Navy.
Playing Career
A first-team All-Mountain West defensive lineman for Utah’s undefeated Fiesta Bowl champion team in 2004, Po’uha earned four letters before embarking on an eight-year NFL career. He was selected in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft by the New York Jets and played in 106 games with 55 starts from 2005-12, accumulating 263 career tackles.
Coaching Experience
Bowl Games
Education
Utah, 2016
Bachelor’s in sociology
Personal Data
Hometown: Salt Lake City
Birthdate: Feb. 3, 1979
Family: Wife Katie; sons Viliami and Sonasi Po’uha; daughters Leilani and Kesaia
3rd Year
Former Ute and NFL defensive tackle Sione Po’uha (pronounced see-oh-nee bo-oo-ha) enters his third year as the defensive tackles coach in 2021. He made his return to the Utes in December of 2018 after spending the 2018 season as the defensive tackles coach at Navy.
Po’uha joined the Utah staff during preparations for the Holiday Bowl against Northwestern and coached in the game later that month.
In 2019 Po'uha was part of a defensive staff that led the Utes to one of the most successful seasons in school history. Utah ranked No. 2 in the FBS in total defense and held six opponents to seven points or fewer, most by an FBS team since 2006. The Utes, the No. 3 rushing defense in the FBS, recorded the best statistical season by a conference team in the Pac-12 era in three categories: total yards (269.2), rushing yards (81.8) and points allowed (15.0) in 2019. Under Po'uha's tutelage, defensive tackle Leki Fotu earned second-team All-America honors from Walter Camp and FWAA, and third-team from AP, while earning his second consecutive first-team All-Pac-12 nod. John Penisini earned second-team All-Pac-12.
The Utes also finished a shortened 2020 season leading the Pac-12 in rushing defense and second in the league in total defense, holding opponents to just 107.8 rushing yards per game.
The former NFL star has been successful in grooming future NFL talent, with Fotu drafted in the fourth round in 2020 by Arizona and Penisini selected in the sixth round by Detroit.
The Salt Lake City native spent two years as a Utah student-assistant coach in 2015-16 while completing his undergraduate degree in sociology. He was Utah’s director of football player development in 2017 before leaving for his first full-time coaching position, with Navy.
Playing Career
A first-team All-Mountain West defensive lineman for Utah’s undefeated Fiesta Bowl champion team in 2004, Po’uha earned four letters before embarking on an eight-year NFL career. He was selected in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft by the New York Jets and played in 106 games with 55 starts from 2005-12, accumulating 263 career tackles.
Coaching Experience
| 2019- | Utah |
| Defensive Tackles | |
| 2018 | Navy |
| Defensive Tackles | |
| 2015-17 | Utah |
| 2017 | Director of Player Development |
| 2015-16 | Student Assistant Coach |
Bowl Games
| 2019 | Alamo Bowl |
| 2018 | Holiday Bowl |
| 2016 | Foster Farms Bowl |
| 2015 | Las Vegas Bowl |
Education
Utah, 2016
Bachelor’s in sociology
Personal Data
Hometown: Salt Lake City
Birthdate: Feb. 3, 1979
Family: Wife Katie; sons Viliami and Sonasi Po’uha; daughters Leilani and Kesaia
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