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PROVO — BYU head coach Kalani Sitake rounded out his staff's position coaches Thursday, naming former standouts Reno Mahe as running backs coach and Jernaro Gilford as cornerbacks coach.
In addition, the first-year head coach named BYU alum Tevita Ofahengaue as the director of recruiting operations.
"Jernaro was not only a great corner but also has done an excellent job as a coach developing young men into NFL-caliber players," Sitake said in a statement. "Reno is energetic, loves BYU and brings NFL experience as a running back and return specialist. Tevita has excellent recruiting connections and is passionate about helping young men be successful."
With the final additions of the staff, Sitake finalized the position responsibilities for his first coaching staff at BYU. In addition to his role as offensive coordinator, Ty Detmer will formally serve as quarterbacks coach, while defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki will coach the linebackers.
Mike Empey will coach the offensive line, Ben Cahoon the wide receivers, Steve Clark the tight ends and Mahe the running backs to round out the offense. In addition to Tuiaki's responsibilities, Steve Kaufusi will coach the defensive line, Gilford the cornerbacks, and Lamb the safeties on the defensive side of the ball.
Of BYU's nine assistant coaches, seven played college football at BYU and another — Tuiaki — graduated from Provo's Timpview High and played collegiately at Snow College and Southern Utah.
Following a standout career at BYU in 1998 and 2001-02, Mahe played five seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. He totaled 1,600 return yards while leading the NFL in punt return average in 2005 and helped the Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX and the 2004 NFC championship.
A native of Tonga, Mahe also played at Brighton High and Dixie State College, where he caught 57 passes for 1,387 yards and 19 touchdowns en route to second-team All-American honors by Junior College Gridiron.
Mahe was a two-time all-state selection by the Deseret News at Brighton, winning Utah's Gatorade Player of the Year award as a senior before joining the Rebels. More recently, he worked as a part-time assistant with the Bengals, mentoring young wide receivers like Stanford commit Simi Fehoko, among others.
He currently ranks eighth in BYU history with 166 receptions, 13th with 2,163 receiving yards and 11th with 3,417 all-purpose yards. He and his wife Sunny, a former freshman All-American volleyball player at BYU, are the parents of eight children.
"It is very humbling to have this opportunity," Mahe said. "I'm excited to return to this unique and great university, and I'm grateful for the chance to contribute to the BYU football program coaching running backs."
Gilford played cornerback at BYU from 1999-03, where he earned first-team All-Mountain West honors before moving on to a coaching career. He played in 37 games at BYU with 28 starts, pulling down 10 interceptions, including six in 2001 when the Cougars finished 12-2 with a win over No. 22 Louisville in the Liberty Bowl. His six interceptions that season finished tied for the sixth most in the nation.
His most recent stop was two seasons at Southern Utah, where he worked primarily with the cornerbacks under previous head coach and current BYU assistant head coach Ed Lamb.
"I feel blessed by the opportunities I've received both at SUU and now at BYU," Gilford said. "SUU will always have a special place with me as the first Division I school to give me a chance to coach. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity to come back to BYU, where I played college football, and contribute once again to such a great program."
Gilford guided the Thunderbirds to a No. 3 ranking in the FCS with 20 interceptions, while holding opponents to a 102.5 pass efficiency rating. SUU's defense gave up just 190.3 yards per game through the air during Gilford's tenure, which ranked 30th in the FCS.
Gilford earned a master's in education while coaching at Whittier College in 2014. He and his wife Brittany have one son.
Ofahengaue returns to BYU after graduating with a degree in sociology in 1999. A former vice presidency of the AIGA Foundation that helps Polynesian athletes get scholarship opportunities, Ofahengaue is currently pursuing a master's in special education.
After playing at BYU in 1997-2000, Ofahengue was selected with the final pick of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, where he spent two years before finishing his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ofahengue and his wife Carey are the parents of seven children and the owners of Crossroads Youth Services, a resource group for case management, crisis intervention and mentoring.
