UCLA announces hiring of Chad Kauha'aha'a as new defensive assistant
Chip Kelly has a new defensive assistant for his staff.
The UCLA program announced on Friday the addition of Chad Kauha’aha’a. Though an official release from the program doesn’t specify exactly which position Kauha’aha’a will be coaching, the expectation is that he’ll serve as the team’s new defensive line coach.
Welcome to the 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲, @CoachChadK45!
Coach Kauha’aha’a has coached more than 15 seasons in the Big Ten, Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences 💪
MORE: https://t.co/JnO5WAM5D8#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/DZPvdxmrc4
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) December 24, 2021
Kauha’aha’a most recently worked on the UNLV staff as a defensive assistant coach for two seasons. He has more than 15 years of college coaching experience in the Big Ten, Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences.
Kauha’aha’a will work as an analyst for the Bruins through the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl.
“Chad’s extensive experience throughout college football, including coaching in several different conferences, is a tremendous asset to our student-athletes and football program,” Kelly said in a release. “In addition, I am looking forward to his leadership as a member of our defensive staff.”
A Hawaii native and later a linebacker and defensive lineman for Utah in the mid-1990s, Kauha’aha’a has spent his entire career to this point coaching defensive linemen. He got his start at the collegiate level at Weber State, where he coached from 2005-08 before moving to Utah State for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. In 2011 and 2012, he was the line coach at his alma mater before moving to Wisconsin for two years (2013-14). He arrived at Oregon State ahead of the 2015 season and after one year was elevated to associate head coach while also assuming outside linebacker responsibilities as well as defensive line duties.
He spent three years in Corvallis before moving to Boise State for a year (2018) and then USC for a year after that (2019). He had been at UNLV for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Kauha’aha’a has coached several NFL Draft selections—including a first-round pick on the defensive line—a Mountain West defensive player of the year, and first-team selections on the line for the All-Pac-12 and All-Big Sky teams. He’ll join Ikaika Malloe as new defensive assistants on Kelly’s staff, replacing a pair of coaches who left for Arizona.