From news services

PULLMAN — Washington State football coach Jake Dickert announced Monday the additions of assistant coaches Mark Atuaia (running backs), Joel Filani (wide receivers), Pete Kaligis (assistant head coach/defensive tackles), Clay McGuire (offensive line) and Brent Vernon (football chief of staff) to the Cougars’ coaching staff.

The group joins previously announced offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Eric Morris and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Brian Ward on Dickert’s staff.

Atuaia arrives in Pullman having spent the past six seasons at Virginia. This past season, he helped the Cavaliers produce over 5,000 yards in total offense for the third time in the past four seasons. Senior running back Wayne Taulapapa averaged 6.7 yards per game for his career and scored 19 touchdowns, as the Cavaliers reached their fourth bowl game in Atuaia’s six seasons in Charlottesville.

Prior to Virginia, Atuaia spent three seasons (2013-15) on Bronco Mendenhall’s staff as running backs coach at BYU, helping the Cougars to three bowl games during that time.

Filani, who spent the 2015 in an offensive quality control position for the Cougars, returns to Pullman having spent the past three seasons as the outside receivers coach at his alma mater, Texas Tech.

Prior to Tech, Filani accepted his first full-time coaching position at North Texas where he was part of a Mean Green program that won 23 games during his three seasons (2016-18). In comparison, North Texas combined for only 23 victories in the five seasons prior to Filani’s arrival and had not reached a bowl game since 2013.

Filani was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He enjoyed a three-year NFL career with stops with the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the Titans. He concluded his professional career as a member of the Arena League’s Chicago Rush in 2011.

Kaligis arrives at Washington State having spent the previous 13 years at Wyoming, where he worked with Dickert and Edge coach A.J. Cooper.

Kaligis began his tenure at Wyoming in 2009 working as the offensive line coach, adding assistant head coach and running backs to his title in 2012 and offensive coordinator duties in 2013. In 2014, when Current Cowboy Head Coach Craig Bohl was hired, Kaligis remained on staff, moving to the other side of the ball to working with defensive tackles. In 2020, Kaligis added defensive run-game coordinator to his title.

Prior to Wyoming, Kaligis spent four seasons at Montana, the last three as the offensive line coach. He also worked at the University of Washington as a strength and conditioning coach (1999-04) and began his coaching career in 1994 at Western Washington, working with the tight ends and strength program.

An outstanding college football player and track and field athlete, Kaligis started all 12 games at offensive guard for the Washington Huskies and late head football coach Don James when they captured the 1991 national championship.

He was an All-American in track and field in the shot put. He won the gold medal at the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival, and placed third in the 1995 University Games. He participated in the 1996 Olympic Trials in track and field in the shot put.

McGuire begins his second stint as the Cougars offensive line coach, having worked previously on Mike Leach’s staff from 2012-17. During that time, he recruited and mentored such notable Cougars as two-time (2016-17) All-American first-teamer Cody O’Connell, also an Outland Trophy finalist in 2016, 2015 All-Pac-12 first team pick Joe Dahl, who spent five seasons with the Detroit Lions, Cole Madison, two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, current Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick Andre Dillard, and four-time All-Pac-12 Conference selection Abe Lucas.

McGuire returns to Pullman after spending the 2021 season as the offensive line coach at USC.

He arrived at USC after coaching the offensive line at Texas State in 2019 and 2020.

McGuire was the offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Texas Tech, his alma mater, in 2018, working under head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

Vernon arrives in Pullman after spending the previous 13 seasons at the University of Wyoming, where he worked alongside Dickert. As Dickert’s chief of staff, Vernon will oversee multiple facets of the Cougar Football program, including operations, travel, management and student-athlete welfare.