LOGAN, Utah – Knowledge and experience. That is what Tevita Finau (Teh-vee-tuh Fee-now) is bringing to Utah State's defensive line.
Along with a successful playing career at the University of Utah, Finau spent five years as a defensive lineman in the NFL, improving his technique and fundamentals, and improving his football IQ – all things that he is now passing down to his Aggie players.
Finau comes to Utah State after spending the previous three years (2020-22) at Utah, helping the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 Championships and Rose Bowl appearances.
We recently caught up with Finau for a Q&A.
Q: What has your transition to Utah State been like and how have the first few months on the job been?
Finau: It's going amazing and I loving everything about it so far. I love coach (Blake) Anderson and the rest of the coaches. There have been a lot of changes with the staff, so we are still getting to know each other, but other than that, it's been amazing.
Q: Why was Utah State the right fit for you?
Finau: In the end, it was a blessing, because it was important for me to be able to stay in-state. My wife and kids love it here, so it is a win-win for all of us.
Q: How do your ties to the state of Utah benefit you for this job?
Finau: It's huge. The one thing that I've come to realize from living here for the past 7-8 years, and playing at Utah, is the whole state is tight-knit and those relationships always come full circle. So, having played in-state, and now living here, I think it will really pay dividends with recruiting.
Q: What has impressed you about the defensive line and what you have learned about that group?
Finau: I have a group that really cares about how they approach things, not just the football side of it, but also off the field. Hale (Motu'apuaka) is our veteran. He's the voice in the room that everyone looks up to. We also have a bunch of young guys, but what's awesome is they all have experience, and they have all played. They've been thrown into the fire. We are a little banged up right not, but we will be at full strength going into fall, so I am really excited about the group and how they go about their business.
Q: What has the defensive line been working on during spring practice?
Finau: Right now, our primary focus is on fundamentals and technique. The guys have shown that they play violent, get off the ball, and cause disruption. So now, it's just the little things, the fine tuning of fundamentals and technique, understanding gaps, where your hands go and where your feet go. We're just working on the basics and by the end of spring we're looking forward to being right where we need to be as we go into fall.
Q: How did your time in the NFL prepare you to be a coach?
Finau: The NFL was such a blessing, because more than anything, it taught me how to prepare and it improved my football IQ. The NFL taught me how important the little things are, like fundamentals and technique. It also helped me recognize formations and backfield sets at a higher level. So, having that knowledge and being able to share that with our guys at this level, I feel like that's only going to take their game to a higher level.
Q: What should the fans expect to see from this defense and your defensive line group this fall?
Finau: They're going to get some aggressive and violent, but controlled, chaos-type style of defense. There's not really a lot of changes from the style of play from previous years, but they're going to see a lot more use of fundamentals and techniques within that style of play. We want to play with a high football IQ, recognizing formations and being smarter football players.
Q: What got you into coaching and why you enjoy it?
Finau: When my NFL career was over, my family moved to Orem, Utah, and I was trying to figure out what I was going to get into. I was blessed, because I was approached by the head coach of Orem High School, Jeremy Hill, about helping them out. I started as a volunteer and then ended up coaching the defensive line there for four years. That opportunity revived my love for the sport, and I ended up falling in love with coaching and giving back to the youth. Then, I was blessed by the whole staff at Utah. They convinced me to come back and finish school and give coaching a test run, and the rest is history.
Q: What do you like to do when you're not coaching football?
Finau: It's all about my family. When we had our first born, I had a lot more time to go out and do stuff, but now it's just more so the focus of spending time with my family. We have five kids and have been married for 14 years, so anytime I get outside of football, I spend it with them.
