AJ Pataiali’i is in his first season as a defensive graduate assistant at Utah State and will work primarily with the defensive line.
Pataiali’i (pronounced Puh-tie-uh-lee-e) comes to Utah State after spending the past two seasons as the defensive line coach at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. During the 2021 campaign, Pataiali’i helped the Badgers to a 7-2 record and a No. 4 national ranking after losing in the semifinals of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) playoffs. In 2020, Snow College went 8-1 and lost in the NJCAA National Championship Game.
During the 2021 season, Pataiali’i coached a pair of defensive linemen that signed with Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs in Cortez Hogans, who was a NJCAA All-American, and Seleti Fevaleaki.
Prior to Snow College, Pataiali’i began his coaching career as the defensive line coach at West Jordan (Utah) High School.
As a collegiate player, Pataiali’i spent two seasons at Utah State (2012-13) and earned second-team all-Mountain West honors following his senior campaign. During his two years, the Aggies notched a 20-7 record, including a 13-1 league mark, and won back-to-back bowl games for the first time in school history.
In his first season as a player at Utah State, Pataiali’i helped the Aggies win the 2012 Western Athletic Conference title, which was their first outright league championship since 1936, as USU finished the year with a school-record 11 wins after posting a 41-15 victory against Toledo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. USU concluded the 2012 season ranked 16th in the final Associated Press poll, 17th in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll and 22nd in the final BCS standings.
As a senior in 2013, Pataiali’i started all 14 games and helped Utah State to a 9-5 record, including a 7-1 mark in the Mountain West, as USU played in the inaugural MW Championship Game. USU concluded that season with a 21-14 win against No. 24 Northern Illinois in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.
For his career, Pataiali’i played in 27 games for Utah State with 16 starts and had 66 tackles, which included 2.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss, to go along with one forced fumble and one pass breakup. He was also named to the USU All-Decade Team by The Deseret News.
The native of West Valley City, Utah, earned first-team all-conference honors at Snow College before making his way to Utah State.
After graduating from Utah State in 2013 with an interdisciplinary studies degree emphasizing in sociology of sport and administration, Pataiali’i signed an NFL free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens. Overall, he spent three seasons in the NFL as he was also a member of the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.
Pataiali’i, who prepped at Hunter High School in West Valley City, earned first-team all-Region 6 accolades as a defensive lineman following his senior season in 2008.
Pataiali’i and his wife, Cheyene, have one son, Kyson and one daughter, Rivers.