Weber State University Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Tight Ends
- Email:
- alfredpupunu@weber.edu
Former Weber State All-American and NFL Player Al Pupunu finished his second season as an assistant coach with the Wildcat football staff in 2018. In his two seasons at Weber State, he helped lead the Wildcats to back-to-back Big Sky titles, two trips to quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs and top-10 rankings in the country. He coached the tight ends for the Wildcats.Â
In 2018, Weber State repeated as Big Sky Champions and finished 10-3 overall, while advancing to the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. The Wildcats were ranked as high as third in the nation, the highest ranking in school history.Â
During his first season at Weber State, Pupunu helped lead the Wildcats to a historic season in 2017 as WSU won a school-record 11 games, the Big Sky title, two wins in the FCS Playoffs and finished the season ranked fifth in the nation, the highest ranking in school history.Â
Pupunu coached senior tight end Andrew Vollert to All-America and first team All-Big Sky honors. Vollert played in the East-West Shrine Game and was invited to camp with the Arizona Cardinals.Â
Pupunu earned All-American honors as a player at Weber State and went on to a nine-year career in the NFL. He is a member of the Weber State Athletics Hall of Fame and the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.
He returned to Weber State after spending seven years as an assistant coach at the University of Idaho where he coached the tight ends.
Pupunu is one of the top football players in Weber State history. After graduating from South High School in Salt Lake City, he played for two seasons at Dixie State College before coming to Weber State to play for Dave Arslanian. As a senior in 1991, Pupunu had one of the best years in Big Sky Conference history. Playing alongside Walter Payton Trophy winner Jamie Martin at quarterback, Pupunu set a Division 1-AA record with 93 receptions for 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns, helping Weber State to an 8-4 record and a trip to the NCAA Playoffs.
At the time, the 93 receptions was an FCS record and still ranks as the most receptions in a season in Weber State history, and still ranks as the second most ever in a season by a tight end. He is also third in WSU history in single-season receiving yards. For his efforts that season, Pupunu earned All-Big Sky honors and was named an All-American by the Associated Press, the Sports Network and the Walter Camp Foundation.
After his time at Weber State, Pupunu went on to a nine-year career in the NFL. He spent his first six seasons with the San Diego Chargers and was part of the 1994 Chargers team that went to the Super Bowl. That season he was also named the Offensive Player of the Game in the AFC Championship game.
He later played with the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants and Detroit Lions, in addition to another year with the Chargers. In his nine seasons in the NFL, Pupunu played in 103 career games and had 1,000 career receiving yards.
He was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Weber State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. He has also been presented with the Distinguished Utahn Award by former Prime Minister of England Margaret Thatcher.
In his last season coach at Idaho, Pupunu helped lead the Vandals to a 9-4 record in 2016, including a win in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. He began his coaching career as an intern at the University of Utah where he worked with coach Hill. He was also an assistant coach at Southern Utah for two seasons in 2008 and 2009.
A native of Tonga, Pupunu and his wife, Mindi, have five children - Miley, Kade, Brynnli, Kenna and Noah. His son Kade signed to play football at Weber State.
