Eastern Washington University graduate and former Eagle student assistant coach Eti Ena has been hired as Eastern's defensive front coordinator and defensive ends coach, head coach Beau Baldwin announced Thursday (Jan. 14) as part of the process to fill two open vacancies in his coaching staff.

Baldwin also announced that Ryan Sawyer has left his position as coach and recruiting coordinator to pursue other opportunities outside of coaching. Baldwin said Sawyer's recruiting coordinator duties would be filled by current EWU cornerbacks coach Cherokee Valeria, with Brian Strandley continuing as defensive line coach.

Previously, quarterbacks coach and co-running game coordinator Zak Hill left for the offensive coordinator position at Hawaii, thus, Baldwin still has one more full-time position to fill on his staff.

Ena comes to Eastern from Cal Poly where he coached the defensive line from 2013-15, and prior to that spent four seasons (2009-12) as defensive line coach at the University of Idaho.

"We're fortunate to be able to hire somebody who has such great coaching experience and success working at different universities on the West Coast," said Baldwin. "Not only is he experienced coaching defensive linemen, but he's also coached linebackers and has experience as a coordinator. He brings a wealth of knowledge to our program and will help greatly in our future growth."

Ena graduated from EWU in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in physical education after serving as a student assistant for three seasons from 2003-05 under then-head coach Paul Wulff. Baldwin was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Eastern during Ena's three seasons at EWU.

In his first year at Eastern, Ena helped coach linebackers. In the last two – both resulting in Big Sky Conference titles for the Eagles -- he assisted along the defensive line.

"He has ties to Eastern, and he's passionate about that," added Baldwin. "A great fit like that can go a long way, whether it's in recruiting or re-connecting with former players and alumni. He has a great understanding of what we're all about here."

In his first season at Cal Poly, Ena coached defensive tackle Sullivan Grosz, who earned eight All-America honors and was named co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Sky Conference. Grosz later signed with the Houston Texans.

At Idaho, Ena coached three defensive linemen who signed with National Football League teams -- Aaron Lavarias (New England Patriots), Michael Cosgrove (Detroit Lions) and Benson Mayowa (Seattle Seahawks, now with the Oakland Raiders).

Ena's coaching career began at Shelton (Wash.) High School, where he was an assistant coach in 1997 and 1998, serving as the varsity linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator.

Ena then served three seasons (2006-08) at Eastern Oregon, where he was the Mountaineers' defensive coordinator, linebackers coach and strength and conditioning coordinator in 2006 and 2007. He served as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator in 2008.

Ena played linebacker at Utah's Snow College and Walla Walla (Wash.) Community College before transferring to Eastern Washington. A shoulder injury prior to his junior year ended his playing career. He is a 1992 graduate of Inchelium (Wash.) High School and helped lead his team to the State 1B football title as a senior.

Ena and his wife, Latona, have three daughters, Corey (23), Moia (19) and Fuamai (16), and one son, Eti Jr. (13). His cousin, Paul Ena, was a two-time All-Big Sky defensive end for EWU from 2009-12. Eti's uncle and Paul's father, Tali Ena, was a standout running back at Washington State University (1976-79) and went on to play for the Seattle Seahawks.

His younger brother, Justin, played at BYU and played four years in the NFL after signing a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002. Justin is now linebackers coach at the University of Utah. Another brother, Packy, is a high school coach at Kapolei High School in Hawaii and formerly played at Oregon State.

His name is pronounced "eh-tee" "en-nuh."
 
 

More on Ryan Sawyer . . .

 
Ryan Sawyer concluded his eighth season as an assistant in Eastern Washington's program in 2015, having worked with defensive linemen all previous seven seasons. However, in 2015 he added the role of defensive front coordinator, with Brian Strandley also coaching along the defensive line. It was also the sixth season Sawyer served as recruiting coordinator for the 2010 NCAA Division I champions.

"I'm so thankful and appreciative for all the years I've spent in the coaching world with Ryan," head coach Beau Baldwin said of his relationship with Sawyer that goes back to their days together at Central Washington University. "He's a hard-working and good coach, and was a huge part of our success here and at Central in my season there as head coach. He will be missed, but I'm excited for his family and the next chapter of his life."

With a deep and talented group of defensive linemen, Sawyer's players earned 15 All-Big Sky Conference honors the past four seasons while leading EWU to a collective record of 40-15 and the league title three times. From 2012-14, Eastern advanced to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs with two semifinal appearances.

His All-Big Sky linemen in 2015 included end Samson Ebukam on the second team and tackle Matthew Sommer on the honorable mention list. Honored players in 2014 included Ebukam on the second team and tackle Dylan Zylstra on the third squad. Honorable mention went to Sommer (tackle) and Zackary Johnson (end), as Eastern finished the season ranked 11th in FCS with a total of 28 turnovers gained.

Players honored in 2013 included second team performers Andru Pulu (tackle) and Anthony Larry (end), and honorable mention selections Will Katoa (tackle), Zylstra (tackle) and Evan Day (end). Ebukam earned Freshman All-America honors as well.

The Eagles in 2012 featured All-America and second team All-Big Sky end Jerry Ceja, as well as honorable all-league selections Pulu (tackle), Paul Ena (end) and Zylstra (tackle). Three of his defensive linemen earned All-Big Sky honors in 2011, including two-time All-America tackle Renard Williams. Tackle Charles Moetului and Ena earned honorable mention, as the Eagles finished with 27 sacks in 11 games.

In 2010, an experienced defensive line helped Eastern lead the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in turnovers gained (47) and finished with 33 sacks in 15 games. The Eagles were also sixth nationally in red zone defense, as they allowed just 38 scores in 58 opponent trips inside the EWU 20-yard line. Eight of those scores were field goals, including two in the first half of the national championship game. Williams earned first team All-Big Sky Conference honors, and senior tackle Tyler Jolley received honorable mention.

Sawyer's defensive line had three new starters in the lineup in 2009, but Williams – the lone returning starter – earned first team All-Big Sky Conference honors after finishing the season with 9 1/2 sacks. Senior Jacob Kragt earned honorable mention from the league and was a first team Academic All-American as the Eagles finished with 29 total sacks and ranked sixth in the FCS in turnover margin (plus 1.25 per game).

In Sawyer's first season on the staff in 2008, senior Greg Peach won the Buck Buchanan Award, which is given to the top defensive player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Peach was honored on five different All-America teams and was the Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP after finishing with a school-record 18 sacks as a senior. Sawyer also coached second team All-Big Sky selections Lance Witherspoon and Jason Belford – also seniors. Eastern's defense overcame a rocky start to hold five-straight opponents from Oct. 11 to Nov. 15 to 19 points or fewer.

A four-year starter at defensive end for the Wildcats from 1996-99, Sawyer also spent the 2007 season as CWU's defensive line coach under current Eagle coaches John Graham (defensive coordinator at both EWU and CWU) and Beau Baldwin (head coach at both schools). Sawyer also served as the team's strength and conditioning coach.

Prior to spending 2003-07 as owner of a residential painting business in Kent, Wash., he spent three previous seasons at CWU as a student assistant wide receiver coach (2001-2002) and as a tight end/offensive line coach (2000). In 2002, he coached three wide receivers who earned all-conference honors, including All-American Brian Potucek, as Central finished the season 11-1. The 2002 Central team was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2013.

Sawyer earned second team all-conference honors in 1998 during a streak in which he made 36-straight starts for the Wildcats. He earned his bachelor of science degree in individual studies in spring 2003, with an emphasis on studies in health and coaching.

Sawyer was born Aug. 27, 1977. He was married on March 12, 2011, to the former Heidi Ramm. They had their first child, Colton Thomas (3), on Oct. 11, 2012 – just two days before the sixth-ranked Eagles played at No. 2 Montana State. Eastern won that game 27-24, scoring the go-ahead points in the fourth quarter on a blocked punt by Zylstra, which was recovered for a touchdown by defensive end Evan Day. They had their second child, Hailey Mae Sawyer, on March 26, 2014.