Former Cardinals All-Pro Takes Coaching Job

A familiar Arizona Cardinals face is now a coach for Washington State.

Aug 26, 2018; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive guard Mike Iupati (76) during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Former Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Mike Iupati is now the assistant offensive line coach for the Washington State Cougars, per the team.

Welcome to the Palouse, Mike Iupati ‼️ pic.twitter.com/kv57O5GLSm

— Washington State Football (@WSUCougarFB) January 31, 2025

This is Iupati's first experience as a head coach following 11 years of playing at the NFL level.

He first joined the league with the San Francisco 49ers as a first-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played in San Francisco for five seasons, started all 75 games he played in while earning three Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro nod in 2012.

Iupati arrived to Arizona in the 2015 offseason, signing a five-year deal worth $40 million. He played 13 games his first season with the Cardinals and notched a Pro Bowl/second-team All-Pro honor.

Unfortunately, injuries derailed Iupati's remaining time with Arizona. He played just one game before suffering a season-ending triceps injury in 2017 while 2018 saw him play only ten games due to injury.

The following offseason, Iupati joined the Seattle Seahawks and eventually retired in the 2021 offseason.

In total, Iupati played in 140 NFL games across his decade-plus service in the league, carving out a very solid career.

After a few years off, it appears he's ready to rejoin the game in a different fashion.

Iupati joins the staff of newly hired Cougars coach Jimmy Rogers, who fills in for previous head coach Jake Dickert.

Washington State went 8-5 last season.

As for the Cardinals, they recently were forced to hire a new offensive line coach - you can read more about that here.