There’s been a flurry of movement inside the BYU football program as new defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga continues to shape his staff heading into the 2026 season. The former Cougar standout is building a defensive unit rooted in both experience and familiarity, with a few key promotions and one notable homecoming.
Let’s start with the newest face on the field: Lewis Walker. The former Utah defensive back is back in his home state, this time wearing Cougar blue, as BYU’s new cornerbacks coach.
Walker brings with him more than a decade of coaching experience, most recently at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, where he helped guide the Bison to a 23-7 record and two trips to the national title game. Before that, he was part of a Monmouth program that made three FCS playoff appearances and won two Big South titles while he coached the secondary.
Walker’s coaching journey began at the high school level in Utah before making the jump to the college ranks at Columbia in 2014. As a player, he split his college career between Hawaii and Utah, finishing out as a redshirt senior in 2012 with 14 tackles, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Now, he returns to the Beehive State with a mission: develop BYU’s corners and bring a championship-caliber edge to the position room.
“I’m really looking forward to being with a lot of familiar people at this elite level,” Walker said in a statement. “I can’t wait to get in and develop our cornerbacks and build relationships with all of them.”
Walker’s addition is just one piece of a larger puzzle Poppinga is putting together. Justin Ena, another former Cougar linebacker and a three-time all-conference selection from 1997 to 2001, has been promoted to special teams coordinator - the role Poppinga held before taking over the defense. Ena brings with him a solid resume on the special teams front, having worked in similar roles at Utah under Kyle Whittingham and at Southern Utah under Ed Lamb.
Ena’s elevation to coordinator is part of Poppinga’s broader plan to give special teams a more prominent role in BYU’s overall structure moving forward.
“Before we undertook the recent changes to our defensive staff,” Poppinga said, “I intended to emphasize special teams even more within our staff structure heading into 2026.”
Also stepping into a bigger role is Chad Kauha'aha'a, who moves from senior analyst to outside linebackers coach. Kauha'aha'a has been around the block - and then some - with coaching stops at major programs like UCLA, USC, Wisconsin, Oregon State, Boise State, and UNLV, along with his alma mater Utah. Known for his ability to develop edge rushers and recruit at a high level, he brings a wealth of experience to BYU’s defensive front.
“Chad is a great recruiter and defensive coach with a ton of experience,” head coach Kalani Sitake said. “He has coached a lot of sacks in his career and helped a lot of guys get to the NFL.”
With these moves, BYU’s defensive responsibilities are now clearly defined. Poppinga will take over coaching the inside linebackers himself, while Demario Warren - previously hired as cornerbacks coach - will now oversee the safeties. Associate head coach Sione Po’uha’s role expands as well, shifting from defensive tackles to the entire defensive line.
And behind the scenes, veteran coach Gary Andersen continues to have a hand in the operation. The former head coach at Utah State, Oregon State, and Wisconsin has been serving as a senior defensive analyst in Provo since 2024 and remains a key figure in the room.
In all, this is a staff that blends deep Cougar ties with proven coaching chops. It’s clear that Poppinga is building a defense with identity - one that’s rooted in development, accountability, and a whole lot of experience at both the college and pro levels.
With spring ball on the horizon, the pieces are in place. Now it’s about execution.