Legi Suiaunoa - Football Coach

Legi Suiaunoa

Title:
Assistant Coach, Defensive Line
Alma Mater:
Nevada, '02
Year at UCLA:
1st in 2026

A coaching veteran of 25 years, Legi Suiaunoa (leng-ee SOO-ee-ow-noah) enters his first season as defensive line coach for the UCLA football program in 2026. Suiaunoa arrived in Westwood after spending the last two years in the same role at Michigan State.

Suiaunoa, who has coached at five different levels of college football, has helped his teams to four FCS Playoff appearances and four FBS bowl game berths.

During his first season at Michigan State in 2024, Suiaunoa’s defensive front helped the Spartans rank 32nd in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 125.1 yards per game. Defensive end Khris Bogle led Michigan State with 4.0 sacks and ranked second 7.5 tackles for loss to earn All-Big Ten Honorable Mention recognition.

Suiaunoa developed one of the best defensive lines in the Pac-12 Conference over the last two seasons of his six-year stint at Oregon State from 2018-23. The Beavers ranked 14th and 21st in the FBS in rushing defense in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Four of Suiaunoa’s lineman earned All-Pac-12 accolades during his tenure in Corvallis, Ore.

In 2022, Oregon State posted a 10-3 record and was tops in the Pac-12 in both rushing defense (108.2) and scoring defense (20.0). The Beavers were also No. 1 in the country in red zone defense, allowing only 28 scores in 42 attempts (66.7%). Suiaunoa’s defensive line unit was led by a pair of All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention performers in Sione Lolohea and James Rawls. Lolohea recorded 6.0 tackles for loss, including 2.0 sacks, four quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles.

Suiaunoa’s 2023 defensive line group helped Oregon State rank ninth in the FBS and second in the Pac-12 with 36.0 sacks. The Beavers were also tied for second in the league in forced fumbles (13), third in total tackles for loss (72.0), fourth in rushing defense (114.2) and fifth in scoring defense (22.9). Lolohea was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team with a team-high seven QB hurries, 47 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks and two forced fumbles.

With Suiaunoa’s guidance, Oregon State saw an improvement of 73.8 fewer rushing yards allowed per game from 2020 (217.6) to 2021 (143.8). The Beavers also allowed nearly eight fewer points per game in 2021 (25.8) than in the 2020 (33.3) season. Suiaunoa’s star pupil in 2021 was All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention defensive lineman Keonte Schad, who finished among the team leaders in tackles (46), tackles for loss (6.0) and sacks.

Oregon State's defense also improved from 2018 to 2019 with Suiaunoa's leadership, allowing 13.2 fewer points per game and 112.3 fewer yards per game rushing in 2019. The Beavers’ defense also had 86.0 tackles for loss and 32.0 sacks, which was the most since 2008, until the 36 sacks in 2023 topped that mark.

Prior to Oregon State, Suiaunoa coached at Hawai'i for the 2016-17 seasons, where he was promoted to defensive coordinator for the 2017 season after serving as defensive line coach in 2016. Suiaunoa coached linebacker Jahlani Tavai to All-Mountain West Second Team honors in 2017 after ranking second in the conference with 124 tackles. Tavai went on to be selected with 43rd overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Suiaunoa also mentored lineman Meffy Koloamatangi, who was a two-time All-Mountain West Honorable Mention selection, and lineman Viane Moala, who also garnered honorable mention All-Mountain West accolades in 2017.

Before his time at Hawai'i, Suiaunoa coached at Montana from 2011-15, coaching the defensive line all five seasons and serving as associate head coach in 2013 and 2014. Suiaunoa helped lead the Grizzlies to a 43-22 record and four FCS Playoff appearances, where they won four postseason games. Two of his players earned All-America accolades three times while five were named to the All-Big Sky Conference First Team seven times.

Under Suiaunoa, consensus All-American defensive end Tyrone Holmes led the FCS in sacks with 18.0 in 2015, and concluded his career with 34.5 sacks, ranking second on Montana's all-time sacks list behind another Suiaunoa pupil, Zach Wagenmann. Additionally, Holmes was one of three finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the FCS Defensive Player of the Year, in 2015.

Suiaunoa also mentored defensive tackle Caleb Kidder to All-Big Sky First Team honors in 2015 after recording 82 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick following an injury rehab.

In 2014, Montana ranked among the FCS leaders in several defensive categories. The Grizzlies were second in the nation in total sacks (46.0), 19th in scoring defense (21.0) and 36th in tackles for loss per game (6.8).

Over the three previous seasons, Suiaunoa also guided the development of record-setting defensive end Zach Wagenmann, who was a three-time All-Big Sky First Team recipient and was tabbed 2014 Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year. Under Suiaunoa's tutelage, Wagenmann set school records in career sacks (37.5), career tackles for loss (53) and career forced fumbles (11).

Defensive tackle Tonga Takai joined Wagenmann in earning All-Big Sky First Team honors in 2014, while Holmes and defensive tackle Trevor Rehm were honorable mention selections.

In 2013, Montana ranked second in the FCS in sacks per game (3.73), fourth in rush defense (92.6), fifth in fumble recoveries (16) and 28th in scoring defense (22.9).

Before Montana, Suiaunoa coached the defensive line for one season at Portland State in 2010.

Suiaunoa earned his first defensive coordinator experience at the NAIA level at Eastern Oregon in 2009 following a four-year stint at Western Washington from 2005-08 coaching defensive line and linebackers, in addition to serving as the Vikings’ strength and conditioning coach.

Suiaunoa started his coaching career on the NJCAA level at Palomar College in San Marcos, Calif., coaching the linebackers for two seasons from 2002-03. The Comets went 8-3 in 2003, reaching the first round of Southern California Junior College playoffs, and were 10-1 in 2002, winning the Mission Conference Championship while finishing the year ranked fourth in the nation by the JC Grid-Wire Poll. He spent the following season as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Nevada, in 2004.

Suiaunoa began his collegiate playing career at Palomar before transferring to Nevada, where he was a three-year letterwinner from 1999-2001. He was a two-year starting linebacker for the Wolf Pack and received the 2001 Coaches’ Award after logging 26 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack in his senior year.

A native of Oceanside, Calif., Suiaunoa earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies administration from Nevada in 2002.

Suiaunoa and his wife, Rose, have three daughters and two sons.

Suiaunoa’s Coaching Experience
2002, 2003 – Linebackers, Palomar (NJCAA)
2004 – Graduate Assistant, Nevada
2005-08 – Defensive Line/Linebackers/Strength & Conditioning, Western Washington (NCAA DII)
2009 – Defensive Coordinator, Eastern Oregon (NAIA)
2010 – Defensive Line, Portland State (FCS)
2011, 2012 – Defensive Line, Montana (FCS)
2013, 2014 – Associate Head Coach/Defensive Line, Montana (FCS)
2015 – Defensive Line, Montana (FCS)
2016 – Defensive Line, Hawai’i
2017 – Defensive Coordinator, Hawai’i
2018-23 – Defensive Line, Oregon State
2024, 2025 – Defensive Line, Michigan State
2026 – Defensive Line, UCLA