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With Seumalo, it’s people first, then players

OSU coach pushes D-line to success

By kerry eggers

The Portland Tribune, Oct 28, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Under Joe Seumalo’s tutelage, defensive end Slade Norris and other players are looking formidable.

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CORVALLIS — Nearly a year ago, after Oregon State had vanquished Maryland in the Emerald Bowl, Joe Seumalo was asked what he expected from his defensive line in the 2008 season.

“I think we’ll be better than we were this year,” Seumalo said.

That seemed preposterous. The ’07 Beavers led the nation in rushing defense and were third in sacks, but only three of the 11 rotation players — and no starters — were returning.

Midway through the ’08 campaign, it appears Seumalo’s comments weren’t so far-fetched. Ends Slade Norris and Victor Butler are gathering steam as every-down players, sophomore tackle Stephen Paea is an animal and Seumalo is employing 10 rotation players — most of them who hadn’t played a down of major-college football coming into this season — to full advantage.

It’s becoming clear in his third season at Oregon State that Seumalo can coach a little bit.

“If you look at where our D-line is now compared to where we were the beginning of the season, you have to give credit to Coach Seumalo,” Norris says. “He’s the reason why we are the way we are.”

“He’s not a good coach, he’s a tremendous coach,” Butler says. “He gets a lot of performance out of our D-line. He’s helped me a lot. He’s a players’ coach. He not only coaches us as players, but as young men off the field.”

Seumalo says he learned that philosophy from Dick Tomey and Rich Ellerson. Seumalo played for Tomey at Hawaii and coached under him at San Jose State. Ellerson — a longtime Tomey assistant — was Seumalo’s position coach at Hawaii, and Seumalo served on Ellerson’s staff at Cal Poly.

“If (a player spends) four or five years here, and you win a couple of Rose Bowls but you’re still the same person, then I’ve failed as a coach,” Seumalo says. “Part of growing is being able to mature as a person. We don’t want you to just help us win games, but to get your degree on time, to learn to be places on time.”

Seumalo, 42, came to Oregon State in 2006 after a year coaching at San Jose State. Prior to that, he put in a four-year stint with Ellerson at Division I-AA Cal Poly.

“I could have stayed at Cal Poly forever,” Seumalo says. “I didn’t want to leave. My wife loved San Luis Obispo. My kids loved it. My mind-set was, ‘I’m staying here until we get fired.’ But coach Ellerson — he’s been like a dad to me — told me he was going to fire me if I didn’t take the job at San Jose State.”

Ellerson’s recommendation went a long way with Oregon State coach Mike Riley. So did Seumalo’s prior relationship with OSU assistants Mike Cavanaugh and Greg Newhouse. Seumalo had been a graduate assistant while Cavanaugh was O-line coach at Hawaii. Newhouse had been an assistant while Seumalo was playing at Hawaii, and later during Seumalo’s time as a defensive end with Edmonton of the Canadian Football League.

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