Former San Diego Charger and one-time FCS single-season receptions record holder Al Pupunu is in his seventh season with the Vandals as coach of the Idaho tight ends.
And his players continue to have a tremendous impact on the Vandal offense. In 2015, junior Buck Cowan – a converted receiver, wound up ranked fourth among the nation’s tight ends. Cowan was third among Idaho’s receivers with 48 catches for 624 yards – totals that include some of the top plays of the season for Idaho.
Cowan was following in his predecessors footsteps. In 2014, Justin Podrabsky also was third among Idaho receivers from his tight end position with 37 catches for 380 yards. Prior to Podrabsky, senior Mike LaGrone the team’s fourth-leading receiver in 2013 with 18 catches for 257 yards.
Pupunu, who came to Idaho in 2010 after two seasons at Southern Utah University, spent nine seasons in the NFL - seven with the Chargers. A tight end, he was the Offensive Player of the Game in the 1994 AFC Championship game and averaged 9.8 yards per catch during his career.
He made his collegiate mark at Weber State when he led the FCS in receptions with 93 in 1991. That mark still stands as the second-best ever by a tight end in FCS history.
He was able to parlay that playing knowledge to coaching with Daniel Hardy, who was in Pupunu’s first tight ends group at Idaho, being drafted by Tampa Bay.
A native of Tonga, Pupunu attended Dixie State College for two years before transferring to Weber State. Not only was he an all-conference performer at Weber State, he was a Walter Camp All-American and is in the Wildcats’ Hall of Fame as well as the Dixie College Hall of Fame and Utah Sports Hall of Fame. He was presented with the Distinguished Utahn Award by former Prime Minister of England Margaret Thatcher.
He and his wife, Mindi, have five children - Miley, Kade, Brynnli, Kenna and Noah.
