In a reunion of coaching brothers originally from Inchelium, Wash., Justin Ena joined the Eastern coaching staff as coach of linebackers starting in the winter/spring season in 2021. The 2021-22 school year will be his second season with the Eagles.
In the 2021-22 season, he coached senior linebacker Ty Graham to honorable mention All-Big Sky honors. A transfer from Idaho, Graham finished with 42 tackles in six games and fellow linebacker Jack Sendeblach, a sixth-year senior, had 33 in three games. Four different linebackers started games for EWU, which finished 5-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big Sky with a five-game winning streak to end the regular season.
As a team, Eastern held three of its seven opponents to 22 points or less, including 13 versus Northern Arizona and 10 against Cal Poly. In a 32-22 victory over 11th-ranked UC Davis, Eastern allowed just 115 total yards and registered its first shutout in a half in the last 18 games. The Eagles advanced to the first round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
With 13 years of collegiate coaching experience after a successful college and pro career as a player, Ena has reunited at EWU with his brother Eti Ena, who is EWU’s defensive coordinator and defensive ends coach. Justin Ena comes to Eastern with experience at EWU’s fellow Big Sky Conference members Weber State (2014) and Southern Utah (2008-13). In all, he has coached four All-America linebackers during his coaching tenure after playing at BYU and in the NFL for Philadelphia and Tennessee.
Justin Ena comes to Eastern from Utah State where he spent the 2020 and 2019 seasons as inside linebackers coach, and the 2019 season as defensive coordinator. At the end of the 2019 season, Ena helped Utah State to its 14th bowl game all-time, including its eighth in the past nine seasons, as it played in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl.
In 2019, Ena helped four defensive players earn All-Mountain West honors, including linebacker David Woodward, who was named to the first team. Ena also helped Utah State’s defense force 24 turnovers (13 fumbles, 11 interceptions) to rank second in the MW and 15th in the nation. In fact, USU’s 13 fumble recoveries were tied for fifth nationally and led the conference.
Previously, Ena spent four seasons at Utah from 2015-18, serving as the co-special teams coordinator for three of those years, and working with the linebackers all four seasons.
During the 2018 season, Ena helped Utah’s defense rank among the top-20 in the nation in several categories, including fifth in rushing defense (101.8 yards allowed per game), ninth in tackles for loss (7.9 per game), 15th in total defense (315.1 yards allowed per game) and 16th in scoring defense (18.5 points per game allowed). Under Ena, the linebackers helped Utah rank in the top-30 in rushing defense in each of his four seasons there, including a No. 5 ranking in 2018 and a No. 6 ranking in 2015.
Individually, Ena coached Utah linebacker Chase Hansen to three All-America honors. In all, Ena coached two linebackers to all-Pac-12 honors in 2018 as Hansen was named to the first team and senior Cody Barton earned honorable mention honors. Barton was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, while Hansen signed an NFL free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints.
Linebackers Gionni Paul (first team) and Jared Norris (second team) earned all-Pac-12 honors in Ena’s first season with the Utes in 2015. Paul was a two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week as a senior. Norris is in his fourth season as an undrafted free agent with the Carolina Panthers.
As co-special teams coordinator at Utah, Ena’s coverage units played a role in the Utes winning the NCAA net punting title in 2016, while the 2017 team finished fifth in the nation in net punting and the 2018 team ranked 15th. Furthermore, Utah had three kickers earn All-America honors in Ena’s four years at Utah in punter Tom Hackett (2015), punter Mitch Wishnowsky (2016, 2017, 2018) and kicker Matt Gay (2017, 2018).
Prior to Utah, Ena was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Weber State in 2014 and a six-year assistant at Southern Utah from 2008-13, including the last four as the defensive coordinator. He was also SUU’s special teams coordinator his first two seasons.
Southern Utah achieved NCAA FCS top-25 national rankings on both special teams and defense with Ena as a coordinator, including a No. 1 rank in net punting in 2009. The Thunderbirds also ranked No. 3 in punt return average and No. 6 in net punting in 2008, No. 9 in punt return average in 2009, No. 17 in scoring defense, No. 21 in total defense and No. 21 in run defense in 2010, No. 13 in sacks per game and No. 19 in pass defense in 2011, and No. 5 in turnover margin in 2012. The 2013 T-Birds finished second in the Big Sky Conference in total defense and third in scoring defense.
Individual honors during Ena’s time at SUU included two-year All-America punter Trevor Ward and return specialist Nick Miller, the nation’s leader in all-purpose yards in 2008. Other accolades went to All-America defensive tackle Cody Larsen and Freshman All-Americans Zak Browning (linebacker), and James Cowser (defensive end). Browning was the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year in 2012.
The Thunderbirds placed 12 defenders on the All-Great West Conference team from 2010-11, including 10 first-team selections. Tyler Osborne became SUU’s first GWC Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.
Ena earned his bachelor’s degree in history from BYU in 2001 with a minor in sociology. He also attended Harvard in 2006 in the school’s business executive education program.
He was a three-year starter and three-time Mountain West all-conference linebacker for the Cougars, and played in the 2002 Senior Bowl. He played four seasons in the NFL, three with the Philadelphia Eagles and one with the Tennessee Titans, playing in 47 NFL games from 2002-05.
Ena has one son, Justice, and one daughter, Olivia. His cousin, Paul Ena, was a two-time All-Big Sky defensive end for EWU from 2009-12. His uncle and Paul’s father, Tali Ena, was a standout running back at WSU (1976-79) and went on to play for the Seattle Seahawks.
Another Ena brother, Packy, is a high school coach at Kapolei High School in Hawaii and formerly played at Oregon State. The Ena brothers all attended and played high school football at Inchelium (Wash.) High School, leading the school to the State 1B Title in 1991. His name is pronounced “en-nuh.”
