University of Miami co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda the latest to join USU staff

In this Aug. 24, 2019 file photo, Miami co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda works from the sideline during the first half of a game against Florida in Orlando, Fla. On Tuesday, Banda was named the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Utah State. | Phelan M. Ebenhack, Associated Press

Banda is the sixth coach to join Blake Anderson’s staff, and third on Tuesday, along with Kyle Cefalo and Nick Paremski

Utah State’s coaching staff under new head coach Blake Anderson is coming together.

On Monday, USU announced the addition and/or retention of three coaches, and three additional staff members officially joined the Aggies’ ranks Tuesday.

Headlining the latest additions is University of Miami in Florida co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda.

Banda will serve as USU’s defensive coordinator and safeties coach and arrives in Logan with 10 years of collegiate coaching experience, with stops at Texas and Mississippi State. He has a reputation of being an especially strong recruiter after helping Miami land the No. 1 safety in the country back-to-back years (James Williams from American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida, in the 2021 class, and Avantae Williams of DeLand High School in Florida in 2020).

“Ephraim is a proven coach and one of the best recruiters in the country,” said Anderson in a press release. “His defenses are known for creating havoc in the backfield with sacks and tackles for loss, in addition to forcing turnovers at a high rate. He is a terrific teacher and motivator, and his energy will translate onto the field with our players.”

Here are all the coaches who’ve joined the Aggies under Anderson:

Kyle Cefalo

Passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach

• Cefalo has eight years of collegiate coaching experience. He spent the past four seasons as the wide receivers coach at Arkansas State and the last two years as the special teams co-coordinator.

Nick Paremski

Special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach

• Paremski brings 17 years of collegiate coaching experience with him to Logan, including four seasons as a defensive coordinator and another two years as a special teams coordinator. He has been a part of five conference championship teams and spent the last five seasons at Arkansas State.

Chuckie Keeton

Running backs coach

• The former USU star quarterback has five years of collegiate coaching experience working with quarterbacks, tight ends and wide receivers, most recently under former USU head coach Matt Well at Texas Tech.

DJ Tialavea

Tight ends coach

• Tialavea is entering his second season with Utah State. He spent the 2020 campaign as an offensive graduate assistant coaching the tight ends. Tialavea was a four-year letter winner and three-year captain as a player for the Aggies.

Al Lapuaho

Defensive line coach

• Lapuaho is set to begin his fourth year with USU after spending the 2020 season as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant, and the 2018 and 2019 seasons as a defensive graduate assistant working with the defensive line. Lapuaho started all 26 games during his playing career with the Aggies and earned first-team all-Western Athletic Conference honors as a senior.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/2KXaAtn