San Jose State Announces Six New Football Assistant Coaches

Defensive coordinator Bojay Filimoeatu among the hires as the Spartans look to rebound from a 3-9 season.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 10:47pm

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San Jose State head coach Ken Niumatalolo announced a flurry of coaching staff changes on Thursday, including promoting former Oakland Raiders linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu to defensive coordinator. The Spartans, who finished 11th in the Mountain West Conference after going 3-9 overall last season, also hired five other new assistant coaches to join the staff.

Why it matters

San Jose State is looking to turn around a disappointing 2025 season that saw them finish near the bottom of the Mountain West Conference. The new coaching hires, including a promotion for Filimoeatu, are aimed at improving the team's performance on both offense and defense.

The details

In addition to Filimoeatu's promotion to defensive coordinator, San Jose State hired Brian Norwood as the new pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach, Joe Dale as safeties coach, Ramsen Golpashin as offensive line coach, Fred Guidici as special teams analyst, and Kolney Cassel was promoted from offensive analyst to tight ends coach.

  • The coaching changes were announced on Thursday, January 30, 2026.
  • Filimoeatu took over as the Spartans' interim defensive coordinator for the final two games of the 2025 season.

The players

Ken Niumatalolo

The head coach of the San Jose State football team.

Bojay Filimoeatu

A former Oakland Raiders linebacker who was promoted to defensive coordinator for the San Jose State football team.

Brian Norwood

The new pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach for the San Jose State football team, previously worked at UCLA and TCU.

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What’s next

The new coaching staff will look to implement their changes and strategies during spring practice and the upcoming 2026 season as San Jose State aims to improve on their 3-9 record from 2025.

The takeaway

San Jose State is making a concerted effort to revamp their coaching staff in the hopes of turning around their football program after a disappointing 2025 season. The promotion of Bojay Filimoeatu to defensive coordinator and the hiring of several new assistant coaches signal a renewed focus on improving both the offense and defense.