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Assistant Coach/Defensive Line



Coach Tui, as Mike Tuiasosopo is know by many, brings a wealth of experience and coaching ability to CU as one of the few non-family hires on this staff. However, having mentored two Buff greats, Hannibal Navies and Rashidi Barnes, during his high-school coaching career at Berkley High in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mike is not without his connections to The University of Colorado .

Family Life:
The Tuiasosopo family has had nothing short of amazing success in athletics. While most of us remember coach Tui's cousin Marques, who starred at UW and played for the Jets and Raiders in the NFL, there are a host of other Tuiasosopos that with extensive college and professional athletics successes. First and foremost, Coach Tui started for three years at Pacific Lutheran and was first team all-league as a junior and senior. His uncle, Bob Apisa, was a two-time All-American fullback at Michigan State and was drafted by Green Bay in 1968. Another cousin, Manu Tuiasosopo, was a two-time All-American defensive lineman at UCLA and was the 7th overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft before starting for the 1984-85 Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers. Navy Tuiasosopo, Mike's older brother, lettered at Utah State from 1983-86 and played for the L.A. Rams while his younger brother, Titus Tuiasosopo, played for USC from 1988-91. Mike will be moving back to Boulder with his wife Kathy, two daughters (Lanea and Maya), and his son Titus.

Playing Career:
As noted above Coach Tui earned numerous accolades during a four-year career at Pacific Lutheran University. He lettered four times on the defensive line and started his last three years. He was named a first-team All-Columbia Conference selection in both 1987 and 1988, and he was a first-team all-Northwest defensive lineman his senior season. He was PLU's team captain and defensive MVP in 1988. During his stay, Pacific Lutheran compiled a 36-7-2 record and won the 1987 NAIA Division II National Championship.


Coaching Career:
After a successful college playing career Mike went almost immediately into coaching--getting his first job with Montclair Prep in Northern California for the 1990 (an auspicious year) football season. After moving through another couple of high schools, Coach Tui landed at Berkley High for a three-year stint where he coached future CU legends Hannibal Navies and Rashidi Barnes. From Berkley High, Coach Tui joined the college ranks at Utah State, followed by Nevada, Utah, and most recently The University of Arizona. Through all of these moves Coach Tui has been a recruiting force and an excellent defensive line coach, a position he will hold on the new staff.

Notable Players Coached or Recruited:
Lindsay Hassell: First-team all-conference defensive end for Utah State in 1998.
Hannibal Navies: Played at Berkeley High School for Tuiasosopo before starting college (Colorado) and NFL (Carolina) career.
Marcus Williams: Played at Berkeley High School for Tuiasosopo before starting college (Washington State) and NFL (Oakland) career.
Earl Mitchell: 2009 second-team All-Pac 10, 3rd round draft pick.
Lionel Dotson: Second team all-Pac 10, NFL draftee (Dolphins).
Sione Pouha: 3rd round draft pick (Jets)
Jorge Cordova: Western Athletic Conference sack leader (2002), 3rd round draft pick (Jacksonville)


Non-AllBuffs.com Sources:
Utah Bio
Arizona Bio
CUBuffs.com Bio
AIGA foundation