SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State head coach Andy Thompson has named Misi Tupe as the team's linebackers coach, it was announced today.

"I'm excited to welcome Misi and his family to Sacramento," Thompson said. "He played at the highest level of college football and has worked his way up coaching at several levels including time as a coordinator. His experience recruiting on the West Coast and his ties to his home in American Samoa will be great benefits to our program."

Tupe recently completed his fifth season in his second stint at Utah Tech. He spent his final two years a the team's co-defensive coordinator as well as linebackers coach.

"My family and I are excited to be a part of Hornet Nation and join the special program Andy Thompson is building," Tupe said. "I'm looking forward to joining a new staff and their football family. I've heard some amazing things about them and am ready to be apart of the growing community. I'm looking forward to come in and be an impact to our student-athletes both on and off the field."

In 2023, Tupe coached Will Leota to second team all-United Athletic Conference honors. Leota led the Trailblazers with 76 total tackles in 10 games and had three games with double digit stops.

The year prior, Malaki Malaki earned first team all-Western Athletic Conference honors and Leota was named to the second team. Malaki tallied at least five tackles in 10 of the team's 11 games and had his season highlighted by 12 tackles against Sam Houston and 10 at Stephen F. Austin to earn WAC Defensive Player of the Week. He finished his career at Utah Tech as the school's all-time leader in tackles with 305 and was fourth with 25.0 tackles-for-loss.

Leota earned second team all-WAC honors for the second consecutive year. He led Utah Tech with 84 total stops and had double digit tackles against Stephen F. Austin, Northern Iowa, Tarleton and BYU.

Tupe led a dominant group of linebackers in 2019, as four of the Trailblazers' top seven tacklers were linebackers. The Blazer defense allowed just 22.4 points and 342.9 yards per game, the fewest in both categories in the program's 14-year Division II era. The Trailblazer defense also finished the season with a program-record 40.0 sacks. Two linebackers earned All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honors.

Tupe came to Utah Tech after three seasons (2016-18) on the defensive staff at Snow College. He joined the staff in 2016 as linebackers and secondary coach, before being promoted to associate head coach and defensive coordinator in 2017. In 2018, Tupe remained as defensive coordinator and again assumed the role of linebackers coach.

The Badgers posted a 26-5 record in Tupe's three seasons on the sidelines and claimed victory in the 2017 El Toro Bowl. Tupe coached five All-WSFL honorees and two All-Americans, including the 2017 NJCAA Defensive Player of the Year.

Prior to his time at Snow College, Tupe served as linebackers coach at Pine View High School (2015) and Snow Canyon High School (2014).

Tupe first coached at Utah Tech as linebackers coach from 2008-12 under former coaches Ron Haun and Scott Brumfield.

Before joining the coaching ranks, Tupe enjoyed an illustrious college football career. Tupe played his freshman and sophomore (2004-05) seasons at then-Dixie State in its final years as a junior college, earning first team All-WSFL and NJCAA All-Region honors. Additionally, Tupe was a finalist for the 2005 NJCAA National Player of the Year award.

He played two seasons (2006-07) at Texas A&M, where he finished with 151 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and one interception. Tupe earned Big XII Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors in 2006 and Team Defensive MVP honors in 2007.

Tupe earned a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M in 2008. Misi and his wife, Whitnee, who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Utah Tech volleyball program, are the parents of four daughters and two sons.

Former Sacramento State linebacker Taylor Powell will also return to the program as a defensive assistant. Powell played the 2021 season with the Hornets where he ranked fourth on the team with 53 tackles and started 10 games. His efforts helped the team go undefeated in Big Sky Conference play and earn a national seed in the NCAA FCS Playoffs.

Powell played his first three collegiate seasons at Northern Arizona under current Sacramento State head coach Andy Thompson. With the Lumberjacks, Powell was a two-time all-Big Sky selection earning honorable mention on special teams in 2016 and as a linebacker in 2017.

Tupe and Powell will begin their tenures at Sacramento State in the new year following the completion of the hiring process.