This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
UPDATE: A few minutes after this blog was posted, BYU sent out a news release announcing that Mark Atuaia and Garett Tujague have been added to the coaching staff. The release does not specify which positions the new hirees will coach. It makes sense that Atuaia will coach the RBs and replace DuPaix in that spot. Tujague was an offensive lineman at BYU in the Ty Detmer era, but new offensive coordinator Robert Anae will handle the OL, according to the release sent out on Jan. 4.
Original Post:
In what was hardly a surprise, a couple of BYU's assistant coaches acknowledged today that they've been relieved of their duties on the offensive staff. As you can read here, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Joe DuPaix and receivers coach Ben Cahoon learned Monday from head coach Bronco Mendenhall that their contracts — which expire on July 1 — will not be renewed. So who is offensive coordinator Robert Anae looking at as possible replacements? (Make no mistake about it, the guy who two years ago left the program for Arizona without so much as a wave goodbye has been given free rein by Mendenhall to pick the guys he wants to work with going forward). I mentioned Sacramento State offensive coordinator Paul Peterson, former BYU quarterback Max Hall and Southern Utah offensive coordinator Steve Clark in the article as guys who have interviewed for the one of the open positions. To those names, add the name of former BYU backup quarterback Jason Beck. In fact, Beck was in Provo last Saturday interviewing with Anae, Mendenhall, linebackers coach Kelly Poppinga and secondary coach Nick Howell. He's definitely in the mix. Beck backed up a couple of quarterbacks at BYU, including John Beck, and got just one start — against Utah State when John Beck's ankle was wobbly. Jason Beck was a graduate assistant at BYU from 2007-08 and a grad assistant under Gary Crowton at LSU in 2008. He was the passing game coordinator/QBs coach at Weber State from 2009-11, and is currently offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Simon Fraser University in Canada. I've also heard from a source close to the process that former Cougars Micah Alba and Garett Tujague are being considered. I'm not saying they've interviewed for any openings — because I don't know that for certain — just that they are considered candidates by Anae and Mendenhall. Most of you are familiar with Alba since he played recently. As for Tujague, he's the head coach at College of the Canyons in California and recently wrapped up his fifth season at the helm. He's 33-14 at the school. Tujague was an offensive lineman at BYU and blocked for Ty Detmer. He earned all-conference honors.