One of the greatest players, let alone quarterbacks, in the history of the Washington football program is coming home. Again.
Following up on speculation that had been percolating over the past day or so, UW confirmed via a press release Saturday night that Marques Tuiasosopo has been hired as the Huskies’ new quarterbacks coach. Tuiasosopo had spent the past two seasons at UCLA.
“I’m very excited to come back home to coach where I played and to help Coach Sarkisian continue to bring the Huskies back to where we belong: at the top of the Pac-12, in the Rose Bowl and competing for championships,” Tuiasosopo said in comments released by the school. “I’m also happy to be coaching the position I love.
“I’m very grateful to Jim Mora and UCLA for giving me the opportunity to get my first full-time coaching job.”
Current UW quarterbacks coach Eric Kiesau will move over to coach wide receivers -- replacing Jimmie Dougherty, who left to become the offensive coordinator at San Jose State -- while also retaining his coordinator duties.
Tuiasosopo spent 2009 and 2010 as an assistant strength coach at UW before leaving for the Bruins. He was a grad assistant at the alma mater of his father -- underrated former NFL player Manu Tuiasosopo -- in 2011 before being promoted to tight ends coach in 2012.
It was at UW, though, that the son matched and even surpassed dad’s notoriety.
From 1997-2000, Tuiasosopo set the Huskies’ career mark for total offense. After being named as the Pac-10’s Offensive Player of the Year in his last season at UW, Tuiasosopo went on to spend eight seasons as mainly a backup quarterback in the NFL.
“Marques is a Husky football legend,” UW head coach Steve Sarkisian said, “and we’re excited to welcome him back home to Washington.
“He brings a high level of expertise about the quarterback position which will be of great benefit to our program.”
Sarkisian still has one hole left on his staff to fill as running backs coach Joel Thomas left for the same position at Arkansas.