Football | 1/23/2023 4:10:00 PM

Utah Tech University Head Football Coach Paul Peterson announced on Monday the promotion of four current members of his coaching and two new additions ahead of the Trailblazers' 2023 spring camp. 

Peterson promoted two of his senior staff members, John Hughes and Peter Tuitupou to co-Offensive Coordinator positions, with Hughes continuing in his role as Offensive Line Coach. Tuitupou, who had served as Running Backs Coach, Tight Ends Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, will also move over to Wide Receivers Coach.
 
In addition, Peterson elevated Billy Ray Stutzmann from Wide Receivers Coach to Passing Game Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach, and Jamison Clark from Assistant Defensive Line Coach to Running Back Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.
 
"We wanted to keep consistency on both sides of the ball despite the coaching turnover," Peterson said. "We know the promotions of Coaches Tuitupou, Hughes, Stutzmann and Clark will help us to develop and grow the offense and continue to build off our offensive momentum."
 
Peterson also announced the additions of James Cowser as the new Defensive Line Coach, and J.B. Hall Jr. as the new Defensive Pass Game Coordinator and Cornerbacks Coach. 

Cowser comes to Utah Tech after three seasons at Weber State, where he served as defensive ends coach, and helped lead the Wildcats a Big Sky Conference title and two trips to the NCAA D-I FCS playoffs. 
 
Cowser was a standout player at Southern Utah, where he twice earned All-America honors and was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP as a senior in 2015, and finished his career at that time as the NCAA FCS all-time leader in career sacks and tackles for loss. After his college career, Cowser spent three seasons in the NFL with then-Oakland Raiders from 2016-18. 
 
Hall Jr. returns West after one season as a special teams analyst at Georgia Tech, where he was also an interim assistant coach during the second half of the 2022 campaign. Hall Jr. also spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at three Big Sky schools, including time as safeties coach and assistant special teams coordinator at Idaho State (2019-21), and coached corner backs at both Sacramento State (2018) and Montana (2015-17).
 
Hall Jr. began his coaching career as a defensive graduate assistant at Colorado (2013-14). He played football collegiately at Adams State, where he was a wide receiver for four seasons from 2008-12. 
 
"We are excited to announce new additions to our staff. Besides being great teachers and mentors, we have hired fantastic people," Peterson noted. "Coach Cowser brings a wealth of experience to our program, not only during his time as a coach, but as a standout defensive player in college and his time in the NFL.
 
"Coach Hall has a ton of experience coaching at the highest levels of football, he knows how to recruit our area and is a high character individual," Peterson added." 
 
Utah Tech won three of its final four games of the 2022 season to close with a 4-7 overall record in its third D-I FCS campaign, which included a 2-2 mark and a third place WAC finish.