{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1977)}} {{Use American English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Justin Ena | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|11|20|mf=y}} | birth_place = Provo, Utah, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | number = <!-- 95, 59, 52, 50 --> | current_team = BYU Cougars | position = Special Teams Coordinator | high_school = Shelton (Shelton, Washington) | college = BYU | undraftedyear = 2002 | pastteams= * Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|2002|2003}}) * Tennessee Titans ({{NFL Year|2004}}) * Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|2005}}) | pastcoaching= * Southern Utah (2008–2009)<br />Special teams coordinator * Southern Utah (2010–2013)<br />Defensive coordinator & linebackers coach * Weber State (2014)<br />Defensive coordinator & linebackers coach * Utah (2015)<br />Linebackers coach * Utah (2016–2018)<br />Co-special teams coordinator & linebackers coach * Utah State (2019)<Br />Defensive coordinator & inside linebackers coach * Utah State (2020)<br />Inside linebackers coach * Dixie State (2021) <br> Defensive coordinator & safeties coach * San Diego State (2022) <br> Defensive line coach * BYU (2023–2025)<br> Linebackers coach * BYU (2026–present)<br> Special teams coordinator |statlabel1=Total tackles |statvalue1=59 |statlabel2=Pass deflections |statvalue2=1 |pfr=E/EnaxJu20 |highlights= '''As player:''' * 2× First-team All-MW (2000, 2001) * Second-team All-MW (1999)
}}
'''Justin Peato Ena''' (born November 20, 1977) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is currently the special teams coordinator at Brigham Young University football. He played college football at BYU and in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans.
==Early life and college== Born in Provo, Utah, Ena grew up in Shelton, Washington and graduated from Shelton High School in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/1996/2/8/19223798/signings|title=Signings|work=Deseret News|date=February 8, 1996|accessdate=October 20, 2020}}</ref> Ena enrolled at Brigham Young University in the spring of 1997 and immediately joined the BYU Cougars football team as a linebacker, redshirting the 1997 season.<ref name="BYU"/>
In his first season with BYU in 1998, Ena played in 11 games with 22 tackles and an interception. Then in 1999, Ena played in all 12 games with 49 tackles and a blocked kick. The Mountain West Conference (MWC) named Ena to its all-conference second-team that year.<ref name="BYU"/> Moving from the strong side to inside to replace the NFL-bound Rob Morris, Ena had a breakthrough season in 2000, again starting all 12 games while leading the team with 107 tackles, in addition to three sacks, four pass deflections, one quarterback hurry, and three forced fumbles.<ref name="BYU"/><ref name="Titans">{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050502044003/http://www.titansonline.com/team/players/bio.php?PRKey=224|archivedate=May 2, 2005|title=Justin Ena|url=http://www.titansonline.com/team/players/bio.php?PRKey=224|publisher=Tennessee Titans|accessdate=October 20, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was a first-team All-MWC honoree in 2000. As a senior in 2001, Ena again led BYU in tackles with 101 and made the All-MWC first-team.<ref name="Titans"/> Ena graduated from BYU in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in history.<ref name="Utah State"/>
==Pro football career== Following the 2002 NFL draft, Ena signed as an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles on April 26, 2002.<ref name="Titans"/> In the 2002 and 2003 seasons, Ena played in 25 regular season games primarily on special teams, with 18 tackles.<ref name="pfr">{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/E/EnaxJu20.htm|title=Justin Ena|publisher=Pro Football Reference|accessdate=October 20, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Titans"/> Ena also appeared in four postseason games during those years, with three tackles.<ref name="pfr"/>
After being waived by the Eagles, Ena signed with the Tennessee Titans on September 6, 2004.<ref name="Titans"/> Playing in 16 games with five starts, Ena had 32 tackles, including four for loss, along with a pass defended.<ref name="pfr"/>
On November 15, 2005, Ena returned to the Eagles.<ref name="Eagles">{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060209001117/http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/team/teamRosterDetails.jsp?id=439|archivedate=February 9, 2006|title=Justin Ena|publisher=Philadelphia Eagles|url=http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/team/teamRosterDetails.jsp?id=439|accessdate=October 20, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> He appeared in six games with nine tackles.<ref name="pfr"/>
==Coaching career== Ena began a coaching career in 2008 as special teams coordinator at Southern Utah under Ed Lamb. After two years coaching special teams, Ena became defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2010, during which Southern Utah won the Great West Conference title and had a top-25 defense in Division I FCS.<ref name="Southern Utah">{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030012446/http://www.suutbirds.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=95832&SPID=11715&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=20100&ATCLID=1369069&Q_SEASON=2013|archivedate=October 30, 2013|title=Justin Ena|url=http://www.suutbirds.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=95832&SPID=11715&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=20100&ATCLID=1369069&Q_SEASON=2013|publisher=Southern Utah University|accessdate=October 20, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://suutbirds.com/news/2010/10/31/205021899|title=T-Birds Grab GWC Championship With Win At UC Davis|publisher=Southern Utah University|accessdate=October 20, 2020|date=October 31, 2010}}</ref> The 2013 team had the second best defense in the Big Sky Conference.<ref name="Utah State"/>
In 2014, he was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Weber State University under Jay Hill. Ena then spent four years at Utah under Kyle Whittingham, starting as the linebackers coach in 2015 before adding co-special teams coordinator to his duties in 2016.<ref name="Utah State"/><ref name="Piper"/>
In December 2018, Ena was hired by head coach Gary Andersen as defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Utah State.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ksl.com/article/46448012/justin-ena-added-as-aggies-defensive-coordinator-utahs-kyle-whittingham-announces|title=Justin Ena added as Aggies defensive coordinator, Utah's Kyle Whittingham announces|last=Furlong|first=Josh|publisher=KSL|accessdate=October 20, 2020|date=December 13, 2018}}</ref> Following the 2019 season, Ena was reassigned to inside linebackers coach.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vejar |first1=Alex |title=Utah State football hires new offensive coordinator, restructures other coaching positions |url=https://www.sltrib.com/sports/utah-state-sports/2020/01/16/utah-state-hires-new/ |website=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=January 16, 2020 |accessdate=July 20, 2020}}</ref> When Andersen resigned following the 2020 season, Ena was not retained by the new staff, instead joining the staff at Dixie State as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.<ref>{{cite news |title=FB - Dixie State Names Justin Ena Defensive Coordinator |url=https://dixiestateathletics.com/news/2021/5/27/football-fb-dixie-state-names-justin-ena-defensive-coordinator.aspx |access-date=20 February 2022 |work=dixiestateathletics.com |publisher=DSU Athletic Media Relations |date=27 May 2021}}</ref>
In February 2022, after one season at Dixie State, Ena joined Brady Hoke's staff at San Diego State as the defensive line coach.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/status/1495606310737690624 |title=Bruce Feldman |access-date=20 February 2022 |work=twitter.com |publisher=BruceFeldmanCFB |date=20 February 2022}}</ref>
On January 2, 2023, after one season at San Diego State, Ena joined Kalani Sitake's staff at Brigham Young University football as the defensive assistant coach over linebackers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://byucougars.com/story/football/1302589/sitake-announces-hiring-former-byu-linebacker-and-veteran-defensive-coach |title=Sitake announces hiring of former BYU linebacker and veteran defensive coach Justin Ena |access-date=2 January 2023 |publisher=BYU Cougars |date=2 Jan 2023}}</ref>
==Personal life== Ena is of Samoan descent.<ref name="Piper">{{cite web|url=https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=2167809&itype=CMSID|title= Utah football: Justin Ena goes from Big Sky coordinator to Pac-12 assistant |last=Piper|first=Matthew|work=The Salt Lake Tribune|date=February 11, 2015|accessdate=October 20, 2020}}</ref> His father was a school principal.<ref name="Titans"/> Ena's uncle Tali Ena played fullback at Washington State and was selected in the 11th round of the 1980 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks.<ref name="BYU">{{cite web|url=http://6pack.byucougars.com/football/profiles/00000000247_ftb.html|title=Justin Ena|publisher=BYU|accessdate=October 20, 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020602125228/http://6pack.byucougars.com/football/profiles/00000000247_ftb.html|archivedate=June 2, 2002|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1980/draft.htm|title=1980 NFL Draft|publisher=Pro Football Reference|accessdate=October 20, 2020}}</ref> Ena is married with two children.<ref name="Utah State">{{cite web|url=https://utahstateaggies.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/justin-ena/459|title=Justin Ena|publisher=Utah State University|accessdate=October 20, 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://utahstateaggies.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/justin-ena/459 Utah State profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ena, Justin}} Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:American football linebackers Category:BYU Cougars football players Category:Philadelphia Eagles players Category:Tennessee Titans players Category:American people of Samoan descent Category:Sportspeople of Samoan descent Category:Players of American football from Washington (state) Category:People from Shelton, Washington Category:Players of American football from Provo, Utah Category:Coaches of American football from Utah Category:Coaches of American football from Washington (state) Category:Utah State Aggies football coaches Category:Southern Utah Thunderbirds football coaches Category:Weber State Wildcats football coaches Category:Utah Utes football coaches Category:Utah Tech Trailblazers football coaches Category:BYU Cougars football coaches