Taufa'asau garners DI Coach of the Year honors
Charlotte, NC - New Mexico Military's Kurt Taufa'asau has been named the 2021 NJCAA Division I Football Coach of the Year, presented by the Marines.
In his first season at the helm of the Broncos' program, Taufa'asau led New Mexico Military to claim the program's NJCAA Division I Football National Championship at historic War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, AR. The No. 2 Broncos claimed a 31-13 victory over top-ranked Iowa Western on December 17, 2021, en route to the title. In the inaugural NJCAA Division I Football Playoff semifinal contest, New Mexico Military hosted No. 3 Northwest Mississippi and topped the Rangers 49-30 to earn a spot in the national title contest.
Taufa'asau led New Mexico Military to a 12-1 overall record and concluded the season on a six-game win streak. The Broncos' explosive offensive was anchored by a strong rushing threat that led the nation in scoring (526), rushing yards (3,746), rushing attempts (606), rushing yards per game (288.2), rushing touchdowns (41), 1st downs (293), and rushing 1st downs (174).
Building on the success of the 2020-21 season, Taufa'asau led a dedicated group of student-athletes to claim the program's first-ever Southwestern Junior College Football Conference Championship title with a 45-10 win over Tyler (TX) at the Wool Bowl in Roswell, NM.
After taking over the Broncos program as interim head coach during the summer of 2021, Taufa'asau was officially named head coach following the final game of the regular season when New Mexico Military topped Trinity Valley 58-28.
Taufa'asau is a native of American Samoa and played for New Mexico Military in 2009 under former head coach Jeff Lynn before returning to his alma mater in 2016 as a defensive line coach. As a Bronco, Taufa'asau earned All-Western States Football League First Team honors as a defensive lineman.
Following his time as a student-athlete in Roswell, Taufa'asau continued his academic and athletic careers at the University of Wyoming and earned a bachelor's degree in sociology in 2012. After graduation, he spent time in the NFL signing with the Oakland Raiders in 2013. Taufa'asau also spent time on the Tennessee Titans practice squad that same year and the Indianapolis Colts practice squad from 2014-2015.
