ST. GEORGE, Utah-Thursday, Dixie State head football coach Paul Peterson confirmed the finalization of his coaching staff headed into this upcoming season.
Peterson added seven coaches, three on the offensive side of the ball and four on the defensive side, as well as a director of football operations/special teams coordinator.
Peterson’s new offensive coaches are offensive line coach John Hughes, wide receivers coach JD Falslev and running backs coach Peter Tuitupou.
Hughes comes to St. George after serving as the offensive line coach at Western Colorado in 2018.
He brings six years of coaching experience after starring as an offensive lineman at Humboldt State (Calif.)
Falslev joins Peterson’s staff from BYU after starring for the Cougars from 2010-13 and playing briefly for the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts in 2014.
Tuitupou comes to St. George from the University of Colorado as a graduate assistant. He was a star tight end at Snow College and San Jose State and spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013 as an undrafted free agent.
The defensive coaches are defensive coordinators/safeties coach Tyler Almond, defensive line coach Loni Fangupo, linebackers coach Misi Tupe and cornerbacks coach Mike Smith.
Almond brings 13 years of coaching experience and was most recently the head coach/assistant athletic director at Christian Brothers High School of Sacramento, Calif.
Fangupo comes from Snow College where he served as Peterson’s defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator. Fangupo starred at Snow College, BYU and Mount San Antonio Junior College. He also spent some time in the NFL playing with the Houston Texans (2012), Seattle Seahawks (2012-2013), Pittsburgh Steelers (2013-2014) and Kansas City Chiefs (2014-2015).
Tupe also comes to St. George from Snow College and has previous coaching experience in the St. George area, serving as the linebackers coach at Snow Canyon High School (2014) and Pine View High School (2015).
He played for Dixie State in their NJCAA era as well as for Texas A&M in 2006 and 2007.
Smith joins Peterson’s staff from BYU as he served as the Cougars’ defensive analyst in 2018. Prior to that, he served as Oregon State’s football strength and conditioning graduate assistant.
Smith is a former star running back at Utah State (2009-2011) and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012.
He spent time with both the Buccaneers and New York Jets as well as the CFL’s Ottawa REDBLACKS in 2014.
Finally, Fassel, the son of former Utah head coach and New York Giants head coach Jim Fassel, is the special teams coordinator/director of football operations.
Fassel and Peterson were first together as teammates at Boston College and he served as Peterson’s director of football operations at Snow College in 2017.
Fassel also has NFL experience as he served as an equipment assistant during summers for teams Jim Fassel coached for including the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders as well as the Giants.
