This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Justin Ena's mid-January interview to become Utah's linebackers coach lasted, he reckons, about five or six hours.
The next day, Kyle Whittingham called to tell him he'd done well, but to hold tight.
That'd be the last he'd hear for about two weeks.
It wasn't until 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Super Bowl, while the rest of America was disposing of party plates, that Ena received another call: The job was his, Whittingham told him, and his presence was required at a 6:30 a.m. meeting the next day.
Such is the term of notice for a college football coach.
Ena is plenty qualified to make the leap from Big Sky coordinator to Pac-12 assistant, said Weber State head coach Jay Hill, who added that he'd recommended Ena to Whittingham previously.
"I knew Kyle was going to love him, just based on both their personalities," Hill said. "… He's kind of the best of both worlds in that he can be tough and ornery when he needs to be, and he can be happy and joke around with the players."
Ena, 37, interviewed with Whittingham, safeties coach Morgan Scalley and defensive backs coach Sharrieff Shah — later going to dinner with Scalley and Shah. He said Whittingham stressed to him the need to have tough, smart football players, "and we need to get these kids to buy in and to grind and work."
That spoke to Ena, he said.
Prior to his one-year stint in Ogden, Ena coached for six years at Southern Utah — the last four as defensive coordinator. In 2013, the Thunderbirds finished first in the Big Sky regular season in total defense and scoring defense.
At Weber State, Ena was surrounded by defensive coaches with Utah ties: Hill, Lance Hunsaker, Jason Kaufusi and Kite Afeaki.
He learned their terminology and blended his own concepts with Hill's — which include the base 4-3 scheme long familiar to Utah fans.
The Wildcats allowed 446 yards per game and 6 yards per play, but those numbers were down from 476 and 6.4, respectively, in 2013.
"As a whole, he improved the defense so much from where it was the year before," Hill said.
Like Whittingham, Ena was an all-conference linebacker for BYU. He went on to play four seasons in the NFL — three with Philadelphia and one with Tennessee — starting five games and finishing his career with 59 tackles.
His first impression of his new boss is that Whittingham "expects you to be the best at what you do, and I think that's an awesome expectation to have." He also appreciates the methods of new defensive coordinator John Pease, who asks position coaches for input on broader strategy.
Ena recently moved with his wife and two children to Syracuse and doesn't have the heart to move them again so soon, he said, so he'll commute.
He is Samoan, and his addition to Utah's coaching staff makes it better reflect Utah's team — typically about one-third black, one-third white and one-third Polynesian — after the loss of Polynesian coaches Kalani Sitake and Ilaisa Tuiaki to Oregon State.
Whittingham acknowledged the importance of having a representative staff. "The Polynesian athlete has been a big factor in our success for a lot of years here," he said.
Ena has primarily recruited Utah, although he has also recruited the Pacific Northwest (he hails from Shelton, Wash.) and Denver.
Whittingham said the Utes will hire a tight ends coach — likely in the next few days — before recruiting territories are decided, although he did allow that Scalley will likely spearhead in-state efforts.
Twitter: @matthew_piper —
Ena's assessment of returning linebackers
(Paraphrased)
Gionni Paul • An instinctual football player who reads the play exceptionally well and reacts, attacking downhill. Paul is a "fireball," and also an effective leader.
Jared Norris • "A beast." "Uncommon." Ena is particularly excited to coach Norris because of his toughness, his motor, his hand skills and his striking ability. "He plays it the right way."
Jason Whittingham • 6-foot-2, 247-pound nephew of head coach Kyle has "all the tools in the world," said Ena, describing him as "long-levered." Next step is to improve his instincts.
Marcus Sanders-Williams • "A special athlete" in the vein of Gionni Paul. Has bought into being a linebacker after conversion from running back, Ena said, and has the potential to play a significant role this year.
Uaea Masina • Still recovering from a wrist injury, but getting close. Also probably needs to put on about 10 pounds, but blessed with outstanding football instincts.