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Provo • Paul Tidwell is hopeful, but not overly optimistic.
Tidwell, who has coached a variety of positions at BYU the past 16 years and been in the football coaching profession for 38, told The Salt Lake Tribune on Monday that he would like to remain on new head coach Kalani Sitake's staff.
But he is not holding his breath. Tidwell, BYU's inside linebackers coach since 2011, believes that if he is retained, it will be on the offensive side of the ball because "it sounds like the defensive positions are all filled."
A fullback in his playing days at Utah State, Tidwell has coached running backs at BYU and tight ends at Louisiana Tech and has been a head coach at Snow College, Eastern Arizona College, North Sanpete High and Richfield High. But most of his coaching experience has been on the defensive side at BYU.
"I don't know what's happening. … But I have met with Kalani and expressed my desire to stay," Tidwell said. "Right now, I'm in a holding pattern."
Tidwell, defensive line coach Steve Kaufusi and receivers coach Guy Holliday are the only position coaches Bronco Mendenhall didn't take with him to Virginia. Holliday joined Utah's staff last week, while sources said Kaufusi will be retained by Sitake, quite likely in the same position.
Tidwell said he and Mendenhall came to a "mutual agreement" that the longtime assistant would not join Mendenhall in Charlottesville like Robert Anae, Garett Tujague, Mark Atuaia, Jason Beck, Nick Howell and Kelly Poppinga did. All seven former BYU coaches are getting hefty raises.
Several prospective new assistant coaches, including Tidwell, told The Salt Lake Tribune on Monday they expect Sitake to complete his staff and make the entire announcement before the next recruiting evaluation period begins on Thursday.
Graduate assistants JD Falslev and Jan Jorgensen are expected to return to BYU, while Vince Feula will move up to G.A. from student assistant coach. The fourth graduate assistant has not been named.
Barring something unforeseen, former Cougar Mike Empey will be Sitake's offensive line coach. Empey blocked for new offensive coordinator Ty Detmer in 1987 and again in 1991, after a church mission, and coached the BYU tight ends and offensive line from 2000-04.
Former BYU receiver Ben Cahoon, who returned as receivers coach from 2011-13 before being dismissed by Mendenhall in an offensive overhaul, is also a potential hire.
Former BYU tight end Doug Jolley (1997-2001) is also in the mix to join Detmer's offensive staff; Jolley was a graduate assistant at Stanford in 2015 and is pursuing a master's degree at the school.
Several publications have reported that former BYU tight end Tevita Ofahengaue will be hired as the new director of player personnel and USC assistant strength and conditioning coach Nu'u Tafisi will be hired as the S&C coach.
Other former BYU players who have interviewed for the open positions include cornerback Jernaro Gilford, receiver Reno Mahe and running back Jamal Willis.
Gilford played cornerback for BYU from 1999-2003 and has served as the secondary coach at Southern Utah University since 2014. SUU announced Sunday that it has promoted Demario Warren from defensive coordinator to head coach.
Warren will replace Ed Lamb, who was named associate head coach at BYU on Christmas Eve. Ilaisa Tuiaki, a former Oregon State linebackers coach, was named BYU's defensive coordinator that same day.
A source familiar with the interview process called the offensive hirings "pretty interesting" and noted that in some cases Sitake will have to settle for some relatively inexperienced assistants due to financial constraints.
Twitter: @drewjay