NMMI Sports Press

New Mexico Military Institute Bronco head football coach Kurt Taufa'asau has been named the 2021 American Community College Football Coaches Association (ACCFCA) Coach of the Year.

The award will be presented to Taufa'asau during the 2022 American Football Coaches Association Convention on Tuesday, Jan. 10, in San Antonio, Texas.

Taufa'asau earned his first ACCFCA Coach of the Year honor after leading NMMI to a 12-1 record and the program's first NJCAA Division I national championship.

The Broncos, which were ranked No. 2 going into the title game, beat No. 1 Iowa Western, 31-13, to claim the crown.

This was Taufa'asau's first season as head coach. He was named interim head coach prior to the start of the 2021 season, then the interim tag was removed after the final regular season game on Nov. 7.

Taufa'asau has been at NMMI since 2016 when he returned to his alma mater as the defensive line coach. He helped guide the Broncos to the Southwestern Junior College Football Conference championship game in 2019.

Taufa'asau played at NMMI in 2009, earning All-Western States Football League first team honors as a defensive lineman.

He went on to play at the University of Wyoming, earning a degree in sociology in 2012.

Taufa'asau went on to the NFL, spending time with the former Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans in 2013, and the Indianapolis Colts from 2014 to 2015.

He spent one season as the defensive line coach at Westlake (Utah) High School before returning to NMMI.

Taufa'asau is married to Shanice, and the couple has two sons, King who is six-years-old and Zion who is one, and a daughter, Larei, who is two-years-old.

Press release courtesy of Vince Thompson, Director of Media Relations/AFCA

>> Four Broncos tabbed as NJCAA All-Americans:

>> NJCAA Division I Coach of the Year: Kurt Taufa'asau

>> First-team All-America offense:

• Sophomore running back Anthony Grant: The best running back in the nation, Grant finished atop the statistics leaderboard in four different categories in NJCAA Division I, which included rushes (241), yards (1,730), yards per game (144.2) and yards per rush (7.2) … Grant's 18 rushing touchdowns were second-best … Grant tallied 1,806 all-purpose yards as he averaged 150.5 all-purpose yards a game … He had a season-best 398 yards rushing and five touchdowns during a 49-30 win over Northwest Mississippi on Dec. 5 during the NJCAA championship playoff semifinals … Grant was also named SWJCFC Offensive Player of the Year … In the SWJCFC career record book, he ranks fifth in rushing yards (2,549), eighth in rushing attempts (357) and fourth in touchdowns (28).
• Sophomore offensive lineman Tyrone Webber: The No. 1 rated junior college prospect on rivals.com, Webber, a four-star recruit and Oklahoma State signee, was a crucial piece to NMMI's offensive success … Webber was named the SWJCFC's Most Valuable Player.

>> Second-team All-America offense:

• Sophomore tight end Logan Compton: The 15th-best junior college prospect according to rivals.com, Compton is a three-star recruit … He grabbed 16 receptions for 182 yards with two touchdowns … In addition, he rushed for 14 yards on three carries … Compton earned first-team All-SWJCFC honors.
• Freshman offensive lineman Joseph Taase: One of the biggest reasons why NMMI had one of the best rushing offenses in the nation was because of the offensive line … Taase played a vital role up front on the line … He was also named first-team All-SWJCFC.

>>All-SWJCFC team:

>> Coach of the Year: Kurt Taufa'asau

>> Most Valuable Player: Tyrone Webber

>> Offensive Player of the Year: Anthony Grant

>> First team offense: Logan Compton, Anthony Grant, Tyrone Webber, Joseph Taase

>> Second team offense: Sophomore quarterback Diego Pavia

>> Second team defense: Sophomore defensive back Jayden Oliver, freshman long snapper Hunter Chambers.

>> Honorable mention offense: Sophomore wide receiver Jaylin Smith, sophomore wide receiver Malik Phillips, freshman wide receiver Terrance Moore, sophomore offensive lineman Esafe Fetu'u, freshman offensive lineman Ivan Madrigal, freshman offensive lineman Curtis Stripling.

>> Honorable mention defense: Sophomore defensive lineman Christian Sunu'i, freshman outside linebacker Edy Dos Santos, sophomore defensive lineman Christian Carreathers, freshman defensive lineman Charlie Leota, freshman linebacker William Middleton, freshman linebacker Teilor Tuioti, freshman linebacker Josh Beaird, freshman linebacker Champ Jenkins, sophomore defensive back Tre O'Guinn, sophomore defensive back Joseph Norwood, freshman kicker/punter William Testa.