Viliseni Fauonuku is used to firsts. Bingham students gave him a nickname after he transferred to the school from Euless High in Texas, helping Euless win a state title in 2007. That’s when he turned his level up another notch and helped Bingham win back-to-back state championships in 2010 and 2011. 

Fauonuku went on to play 45 games for the Utah Utes. In his final game at the 2015 Las Vegas Bowl, he closed out his collegiate career with five tackles and a sack in an overtime win against BYU. 

After having his own family and becoming a first generation cattle rancher who is now known as “The Tongan Cowboy” online, it is time for Fauonuku’s third act in the sport of football: coaching. 

“We’re excited to announce Viliseni Fauonuku as our Defensive Line Coach and Co-Defensive Coordinator,” said the Utah Islanders in a statement. “Coach Fauonuku brings toughness, energy and a deep understanding of the game to our defensive unit. He’s a leader who holds his players to a high standard. Why? Because he has done everything he will ask his players to do and he knows how to get the best out of them. With him guiding the trenches, we’re expecting a fast, physical and disciplined brand of defense this season.” 

Fauonuku will join a plethora of former Utah Utes players with defensive knowledge: co-defensive coordinator Brian Blechen, General Manager Trevor Reilly and Steve Savoy, who will oversee wide receivers, on the Islanders coaching staff. Former Snow College standout Ethan “EZ” Wright is returning in 2025-26 as Islanders head coach. 

Utah’s newest after-education development football program, as it prefers to be called, not only helps athletes prepare for the next level thanks to a recent partnership with Salt Lake Community College—they provide an avenue for coaches like FauonukuSeni, too. 

“Our focus is not limited to athletes alone. The Utah Islanders also provide a platform for those aspiring to careers in coaching, front office roles and other sports-related fields where real-time experience is invaluable,” said a statement on the Islanders website. “This approach ensures that we are not just developing players but preparing future leaders and professionals in the sports industry.” 

For the son of Tevita Fauonuku and Gena Newton, a child who was the first in his family to receive a high school diploma and has now forged a career after studying sociology at the U, the Islanders probably feel pretty close to home for Fauonuku. 

The Islanders roster is currently dotted with ex-Bingham players as well as current state champions from Skyridge as well as Wright’s American Fork High School and many other Utah cities and areas across the Intermountain West. 

A la the Miners and the Utes, the Islanders that will play their home games at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman plan to fear no one, and as an independent, have put out a schedule that would make the hardest football enthusiast blanch. 

By the time you’ve read this article, the Islanders will have opened the season at home and played Snow College in the Fire and Ice Bowl, Saturday, Aug. 23. A 10-hour Fan Fest from noon to 10 p.m. will precede the season opener at Zions Bank Stadium. Last year in Ephraim, the Badgers thumped the Islanders 56-0, a defeat that Utah will certainly remember heading into this showdown. 

The schedule, as mentioned, is daunting. There are zero creampuffs on this slate filled with junior college programs and prep schools. After the Islanders’ game against Snow, they’ll hit the road for a game at La Verne College of California Friday, Aug. 29. 

The month of September doesn’t let up one bit; the Islanders head to Lewiston, Idaho to take on Lewis and Clark College Saturday, Sept. 6, and then head to northern California for a Saturday, Sept. 13 showdown at Community Christian College in Redlands, California. 

On Saturday, Sept. 20 the Islanders will play what could be their only in-state game, against the St. George Eagles at Zions Bank Stadium. 

The month of October has two games currently scheduled: Saturday, Oct. 4 at Air Force Academy Prep in Colorado, and at Pacific Northwest Christian College in Kennewick, Washington to close out the regular season.

After that, this “Tongan Cowboy” will turn his attention toward his other passion: cattle ranching.