Report: USC to hire top Michigan assistant as DL coach
As the 2021-22 coaching carousel continues turning, Lincoln Riley is making a new splash hire for his defensive line. The USC Trojans are hiring Michigan defensive line coach Shaun Nua for the same role, according to Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel.
The Michigan assistant coached two of the top defensive line players in the country this season in Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. Both Wolverines pass rushers have declared for the 2022 NFL Draft and both could go in the first round.
The shift from Michigan to USC in the same role seems like a lateral move but the former NFL player has a history coaching out West.
Shaun Nua coaching resume
Shaun Nua is in his third season as defensive line coach at Michigan. Hired on Jan. 17, 2019, Nua came to Ann Arbor after spending the 2018 season as defensive line coach at Arizona State.
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Nua spent six seasons coaching the defensive line at the U.S. Naval Academy (2012-17) prior to his time in Tempe. He began his coaching career at BYU. He was an intern with the program in 2009 and became a graduate assistant coach during the 2010-11 seasons.
Nua played defensive end at BYU from 2002-04, earning second-team All-Mountain West Conference honors as a senior. He appeared in 23 games, playing in 12 contests as a junior and 11 games as a senior. Nua recorded 54 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 10 sacks during his final two seasons. He graduated from BYU in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in youth and family recreation and later earned his master’s degree in recreation management in 2013.
After finishing at BYU, Nua was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played four seasons in the NFL, including three with the Steelers, and spent his final year with the Buffalo Bills. He was a member of the Steelers’ Super Bowl XL winning team in 2006.
A native of Pago Pago, American Samoa, Nua transferred to BYU from Eastern Arizona Junior College, where he earned Junior College All-American honors. He prepped at Tafuna High School in Tafuna, American Samoa.