Roman Sapolu - Football Coach

Roman Sapolu

Title:
Assistant Coach, Offensive Line / Run Game Coordinator
Email:
rsapolu@csufresno.edu
Phone:
559-278-3015

Last updated Feb. 25, 2021

THE SAPOLU FILE

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Twitter: @coachsapolu
Hometown: Huntington Beach, Calif.
High School: Edison
Spouse: Corinne

EDUCATION
Oregon State (2014)
Bachelor's in liberal studies

COACHING HISTORY
Fresno State
2020-21: Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator
2019: Asst. Offensive Line
Idaho State
2018: Offensive Line
Nebraska
2015-17: Graduate Assistant/OL

PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Oregon State
2010-14: Offensive Line

Roman Sapolu (pronounced sap-OH-loo) enters his third season as an assistant coach at Fresno State in 2021. He begins his second year leading the offensive line.

Hired by former head coach Jeff Tedford, Sapolu began his tenure on the Bulldogs' staff as the team's assistant offensive line coach, set to work alongside Ryan Grubb in 2019. Upon the arrival of head coach Kalen DeBoer in 2020, Sapolu's role shifted to being the assistant coach for the offensive line while Grubb's position unit duties moved to the quarterbacks. DeBoer also added run game coordinator to Sapolu's responsibilities with the team.

Sapolu proved DeBoer's move a good one as he was named in Sept. 2020 to 247Sports' 30Under30 list. The list deemed the Bulldogs' offensive line coach as one of 30 rising stars in the profession under the age of 30.

Sapolu earned his first full-time assistant coaching position at Idaho State in 2018. In his sole season, the Bengal offense tallied 5,403 total yards, the third most since their 1981 National Championship season. That season's squad saw eight offensive players earn all-conference honors. Offensive tackle Brian Fineanganofo earned second team Phil Steele FCS All-American honors, as well as first team Big Sky All-Conference honors. Center Dallen Collins earned Big Sky All-Conference Honorable Mention and offensive tackle Dakota Wilson earned second team Academic All-American honors.

During the summer of 2018, Sapolu was a participant in the prestigious National Football League’s Minority Coaching Fellowship with the San Francisco 49ers, working with the offensive line.

After Sapolu's playing career at Oregon State was cut short to injury, he began his coaching career at Nebraska. There he was a graduate assistant for three seasons (2015-17) for NU's offensive line. He played on the Beavers' offensive line from 2010-14.

Sapolu is the son of Jesse Sapolu, a four-time Super Bowl Champion during a long NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers from 1983-97. His father played college football at Hawai'i.