BYU Football Brings In New Hires For 2026 Coaching Staff
Feb 3, 2026, 10:35 AM | Updated: Feb 5, 2026, 10:03 am
PROVO, Utah – BYU football has completed the defensive coaching staff and also added analysts for the 2026 season.
Justin Ena, a former BYU player and three-year assistant coach for the Cougars, is now the full-time Special Teams Coordinator.
“Before we undertook the recent changes to our defensive staff, I intended to emphasize special teams even more within our staff structure heading into 2026,” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. “I’m pleased to announce that Justin will be our new special teams coordinator with the responsibility of putting his entire focus into coordinating this important phase of our program.”
Along with Ena being tasked as Special Teams Coordinator, Chad Kauha’aha’a was named the outside linebackers/EDGE rushers coach.
Kauha’aha’a has been an analyst for BYU’s defense the past two seasons, mentoring the pass rush. He has a long history with head coach Kalani Sitake in the early years of Kauha’aha’a’s coaching career at Weber State in 2005.
“Chad is a great recruiter and defensive coach with a ton of experience,” Sitake said. “He has an extensive coaching resume and excels in mentoring ends and outside backers. I’ve been around Chad my entire career, so I know he has coached a lot of sacks in his career and helped a lot of guys get to the NFL.”
BYU turned to FCS powerhouse North Dakota State to add Lewis Walker as cornerbacks coach. Walker, a native of Salt Lake City, played college football at the University of Utah while Kalani Sitake was the Utes’ defensive coordinator.
“I’ve known Lewis for a long time, ever since he was a player for me at Utah,” Sitake said. “He has a strong expertise teaching cornerbacks and defensive backs and has also been a coordinator overseeing the entire defense for two years. He knows the small details matter and truly cares about the development of the players he coaches. He is from Utah, so he knows our state well. I’m excited to welcome Lewis to BYU.”
Former NFL assistant tabbed as Assistant QB coach
BYU football announced that Tyler Hughes, a former New England Patriots assistant coach, will be the new assistant quarterback coach for BYU.
He takes over the spot left vacant by Matt Mitchell, who took a quarterbacks coach position with the Colorado State Rams.
Hughes most recently was an offensive analyst with the Alabama Crimson Tide. He also spent time with the Washington Huskies football program.
Hughes has ties to the state of Utah. He’s a former head coach at Bountiful High School and Snow College.
Along with Hughes, BYU also announced Raelon Singleton, Dylan Almond, and Tyus Moe earned assistant coach positions. Singleton, a former Utah wide receiver, who has been on BYU’s staff since 2022, is the assistant wide receivers coach. Almond has been on the staff since 2023 and has been elevated to assistant special teams coach.
Tyus Moe has been elevated from defensive analyst to assistant linebackers coach.
BYU football defensive coaching staff for the 2026 season
Kelly Poppinga – Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
Sione Po’uha – Associate Head Coach/Defensive Line
Demario Warren – Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Safeties
Chad Kauha’aha’a – Outside Linebackers Coach
Lewis Walker – Cornerbacks Coach
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
