Nevada Football: Candidates emerge for vacant head coaching position

It has been reported per FootballScoop.com that UCLA quarterbacks coach Marques Tuiasosopo and Oklahoma State running backs coach Marcus Arroyo are candidates for the vacant Nevada head coaching position. The job became open when Nevada decided to part ways with Brian Polian on Sunday after he spent four seasons at Reno.

Tuiasosopo, who played quarterback for the University of Washington and led the Huskies to a Rose Bowl victory in 2001, started out as an assistant strength coach at his alma mater in 2009. From there he moved on to UCLA where in 2011, he was on Rick Neuheisel’s staff and stayed at UCLA even after Jim Mora became the head coach. It was there where Tuiasosopo coached the tight ends for the Bruins. He returned to Washington in 2013 when then coach Steve Sarkisian hired him to coach the quarterbacks and when Sarkisian took the USC job, Tuiasosopo became the interim head coach and led the Huskies to a victory in the 2013 Fight Hunger Bowl. Tuiasosopo joined Sarkisian at USC where he once again coached the tight ends and in January of this year he went back to UCLA to become the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.

Arroyo, who is also a candidate for the San Jose State head coaching job, played quarterback at his alma mater from 1998-2002 and started out in the coaching field as a graduate assistant with the Spartans. He eventually became the co-offensive coordinator and quarterback’s coach at San Jose State from 2007 to 2008 and since 2015, he has been the running back’s coach for Oklahoma State and is one of the top recruiters for the Cowboys. Arroyo is also a candidate for another Mountain West coaching vacancy as he is rumored to be a candidate for the open offensive coordinator position at Fresno State.

These are only two of the many names circling about for the open vacancy at Nevada. Stay tuned to the MWCConnection website for any updates about rumored candidates and eventually filling of the head coaching job in Reno.