Utah State University Athletics

Waqa Damuni (Wonga Da-moo-knee) is in his 12th year at Utah State and sixth as an Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development and Academic Coordinator. Damuni spent his first six years at USU as an Assistant Athletics Director for Football Operations.
                
In his current role, Damuni’s responsibilities include processing and reporting NCAA initial and continuing progress towards degree eligibility, NCAA certification for student-athlete eligibility, while coordinating the academic affairs for all football student-athletes. Damuni also coordinates the A-Game student-athlete development program in the areas of personal, leadership and career development, as well as community engagement.  He also serves as the advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.  He also serves on the Equity Hearing Council on campus and is a member of the USU and Athletics Inclusive Excellence Committee.  
                
Damuni, a former tight end and three-year letter winner at USU from 1996-98, helped the Aggies win back-to-back Big West Conference championships, including a trip to the inaugural Humanitarian Bowl in 1997.
                
Damuni returned to Utah State after spending five years as the Director of Academic Support for Razorback student-athletes at Arkansas.

In all, Damuni spent 16 years in athletic academics at Arkansas, Colorado, Memphis, and at Utah State tracking NCAA initial and continuing eligibility, coordinating the academic affairs for student-athletes and assisting the coaching staff with on-campus recruiting and day-to-day operations.
                
Damuni was a counselor for the State of Utah Juvenile Justice Services in Logan from 1998-2001, serving in different capacities including detention, family crisis intervention and community outreach services. He also served as a liaison between the Juvenile Justice Services and the Hispanic community in Cache Valley. He is fluent in Spanish after serving a Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Monterrey, Mexico.
                
Damuni, who began his collegiate career at Dixie College (now Utah Tech) in St. George, Utah, earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Utah State in 1998 with minors in social work and Spanish, and a Law & Society Certificate. He went on to earn a master’s degree in business information systems from USU in 2005. He then graduated from the NCAA Ethnic Minority Leadership Institute in 2010.
                
A native of Laie, Hawaii, Damuni is married to the former Val Tonga. They have seven children - Emosi, Levani, Junior, Jovesa, Lavinia, Lusiana and Damien.