(Photo: Marina Williams/WCSN)
TEMPE – When Leif Fautanu walked off the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium following the 2025 Peach Bowl, he knew it was his final game as a Sun Devil. He didn’t know it would be his final game ever.
The Walter Camp second-team All-American center anchored the Arizona State offense in its historic 2024 season. He played all 851 offensive snaps, including the final one – an overtime interception that sealed their loss in the college football playoff quarterfinals.
Rather than dwell on the crushing end to his collegiate career, he turned his focus to a longtime goal, a spot in the NFL.
Fautanu declared for the NFL draft after six collegiate seasons. His biggest concerns were size and athleticism, which kept him from being drafted. Still, his experience and leadership were enough to earn a shot.
The Honolulu, Hawai’i native signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent on April 26, 2025. He was expected to compete for a spot on the roster as the backup center. On May 13, he officially lost that battle and was released from the team.
For the second time in five months, Fautanu faced an abrupt and anticlimactic end to a lifetime of work. Once again, instead of shying away from his passion, he recommitted to football. This time, he swapped a helmet for a headset.
After accepting that his playing career was over, Fautanu called his former head coach Kenny Dillingham and asked to join his staff. Dillingham obliged, and Fautanu was announced as assistant defensive line coach in February 2026.
“This is the game I’ve played for almost all my life, and it’s something I want to give back to all the younger guys,” Fautanu said. “Kind of be a guy for those that were there for me when I was playing.”
Fautanu’s second welcome to the Valley came 14 months after his final game as a Sun Devil. He originally joined the team in 2023, transferring in from UNLV.
At the time of his transfer, ASU was struggling. It was under probation and a one-year, self-imposed bowl ban. Despite the team’s history, Fautanu believed in Dillingham and his coaching staff enough to commit.
In 2023, he was a bright spot on a 3-9 team and earned ASU’s offensive MVP award. In 2024, the Sun Devils made the impossible happen. They went from near the bottom of the Pac-12 to Big 12 champions.
After a relative down year in 2025, in which ASU missed the conference championship game, Fautanu has an emotional motivation to help it return to the prestige of 2024.
“I love this place,” Fautanu said. “I played here, so it means something to me.”
It is not uncommon for players to switch from athlete to coach. Fautanu isn’t even the most notable former player on the staff, as Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward coaches the wide receivers. Fautanu is rare because he switched sides of the ball.
Despite having never played defense, Fautanu confidently agreed to become an assistant defensive line coach. He’s used his offensive experience to help give defensive players a fresh viewpoint.
“All my life I’ve been on one side of the ball and now all of a sudden I’m on the other side,” Fautanu said. “It’s a different perspective, also telling the guys what we see from an offensive perspective. It’s good bouncing ideas off each other, with me and CJ (Fite), and all the other guys to learn how to practice and how to learn from each other.”
Fite, a junior and two-year starter establishing himself as a veteran leader in the defensive line room, is attempting to reach the NFL. It’s a goal that Fautanu hopes to provide the blueprint for.
Fite called Fautanu a “great addition”, allowing him to better understand the mental aspects of the game. The two talk about blocking assignments, pre-snap alignments and even the mentality of offensive linemen.
Their bond grew over the two years that the redshirt junior shared the practice field with Fautanu.
“That’s my dog,” Fite said. “The first few years, we were always going at it, competing. Then, we’d talk about it after and try to learn from each other. It’s fun being able to still learn from each other and still sit in the room and be able to talk about that.”
The players aren’t the only ones who believe in Fautanu’s value; head defensive line coach Diron Reynolds has praised his new assistant, calling him a breath of fresh air.
“He brings the offensive knowledge to the table,” Reynolds said. “He brings a really important element to our defense. He’s going to help us a ton this year, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Through ten spring practices, both Reynolds and Fautanu have said they have seen ASU’s retooled defensive line meld well under their tutelage.
Fautanu said that he always wanted to become a coach. While his process was unconventional, he appears to be exactly where he belongs.
“I love coaching,” Fautanu said. “I kind of was a little bit of a coach, like a player-coach, when I was playing. At the same time, it just comes naturally, helping other guys and helping them achieve what they want to achieve.”
