Mark Atuaia begins his third season on Head Coach Jake Dickert’s staff after being named running backs coach on Jan. 3, 2022. Following the 2022 season, he added the title of Associate Head Coach.
For the 2023 season, Atuaia mentored a young nucleus that showed growth as the year went along. With three of the top four running backs underclassmen, the trio averaged 5.28 yards/carry on limited (76) attempts. WSU posted a season-high 229 rushing yards in a 64-21 win over Northern Colorado in the third week of the season. A glimpse of the future came late in the year at Cal, when freshmen Djouvensky Schlenbaker and Leo Pulalasi combined for 128 yards on 20 carries.
In 2022, Atuaia mentored junior Nakia Watson to All-Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention honors after posting 769 yards rushing with nine touchdowns. Watson added four receiving touchdowns with his 13 total scores ranking fourth in the Pac-12 and tied for seventh in WSU single-season history. Atuaia also guided freshman Jaylen Jenkins to Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors as he set season-highs with 13 carries for 130 yards including four carries for 10+yards and had 45-yard catch at No. 6 USC.
Atuaia (Ah-too-why-ah) spent the previous six seasons at the University of Virginia under head coach Bronco Mendenhall as the running backs coach.
With over three decades of experience in college football, Atuaia has guided multiple running backs to the NFL while leading his teams to success. In 2021, Atuaia helped Virginia amassing over 5,000 yards of total offense for the third time in the past four seasons.
Atuaia has been credited in playing a major role in the success of Virginia’s running backs throughout his tenure. He was instrumental in the development of running back Wayne Taulapapa, who surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in his career during his 2021 campaign. In 2019, Taulapapa rushed for 12 touchdowns, the most by a Cavalier running back since Keith Payne’s 14 in 2010. Taulapapa had four games with multiple rushing touchdowns, highlighted by three in the win over Florida State, including the game-winning score.
Atuaia guided Jordan Ellis to a stellar senior season in 2018, rushing for 1,026 yards and 10 touchdowns, becoming just the third 1,000-yard rusher at UVA since 2004. Ellis was UVA’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2013 and 15th overall. Ellis went on to appear in the East-West Shrine All-Star Game and sign a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Atuaia helped All-ACC running back Taquan Mizzell take a big step as a senior in 2016 as the tailback became the first player in ACC history with at least 1,500 career rushing and 1,500 career receiving yards. Under Atuaia’s watchful eye, Mizzell developed into one of the nation’s most durable backs, and was one of four players in the nation in 2016 to led his team in rushing (940) and receptions (52).
Community service was a hallmark of Atuaia’s coaching experience at UVA. The team’s Thursday’s Heroes program has been recognized for its efforts to honor individuals across the state of Virginia who are dealing with personal adversity. In 2020, the ACC honored the Thursday’s Heroes program with its “Game Changers” award, which recognizes and highlights specific conference teams’ involvement with their local communities. Atuaia’s position players were frequent visitors to the University’s Children’s Medical Center and local elementary schools as part of UVA’s ACE (Athletes Committed to Education) program.
Atuaia has been with Mendenhall since 2013 when he joined the BYU staff as the running backs coach. In 2013 BYU’s run game ranked No. 10 in the nation averaging 267.3 yards per game, setting a school record with 3,475 rushing yards. He tutored Jamaal Williams as the Cougar rushed for 1,233 yards and seven touchdowns in 2013 as a sophomore. Atuaia assisted in BYU’s offense ranking No. 14 in scoring offensive in 2014 as BYU put up 37.1 points per game, the most points by a BYU team since 2001. In 2015 the BYU offense ranked No. 4 in the nation in red zone offense, scoring at a 94.3 percent clip.
Atuaia mentored Paul Lasike, a former BYU rugby All-American from Auckland, New Zealand. Under Atuaia’s tutelage, the big running back played football for the first time ever in his life and after three seasons at BYU Lasike signed with the Chicago Bears in 2015.
Atuaia has a history of working with big, strong and powerful running backs. As a student assistant at BYU from 2005-11, Atuaia was instrumental in the development of former NFL running backs Fahu Tahi, Fui Vakapuna, Harvey Unga and Manase Tonga during their time at BYU.
A former running back at BYU during the 1991 and 1994-96 seasons, Atuaia first joined the BYU athletic department in June 2012 as the assistant to the athletics director for student services. He previously worked as the assistant to the dean of Student Life at BYU. He accepted that position after graduating in 2011 with both a doctor of jurisprudence from BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School and a master of public administration from the George W. Romney Institute of Public Management at BYU’s Marriott School of Management.
During Atuaia’s four-year playing career, BYU achieved a 39-11-2 record, won three conference titles and was ranked in the final top-25 national rankings three times. In addition, the offense was ranked in the top 10 nationally during three of his four seasons.
As a senior in 1996 he started 13 games on BYU’s 14-1 Cotton Bowl team that finished the year ranked No. 5 in the country after defeating Kansas State 19-15 on New Year’s Day 1997. Atuaia also helped BYU defeat Oklahoma 31-6 in the 1994 Cooper Bowl to finish ranked No. 10 by CNN and No. 18 by The Associated Press with a 10-3 record.
Atuaia totaled 1,247 yards on 301 carries (4.1 yards per attempt) with 11 touchdowns during his college career, while adding 68 catches for 668 yards (9.8 yards per catch) and four scoring receptions. His career-long rush was 51 yards while his long reception went for 61 yards. Atuaia also added 113 return yards as a member of the kick return team his freshman and sophomore seasons.
A native of Laie, Hawaii, Atuaia prepped at Kahuku High School before attending BYU. He served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tucson, Ariz., from 1992-93. He received his bachelor’s degree from BYU-Hawaii in 2003.
Atuaia and his wife Elizabeth, an accomplished recording artist and lead singer for the 1980s pop group The Jets, are the parents of seven children. His brothers Alema (1993, 1995-96) and Donny (1995-1999) also played football at BYU.
