Sammamish Totems Football

COACHING STAFF

Head Coach Brian Tucci

Brian Tucci was named Head Football Coach at Sammamish High School on January 28th, 2009. Brian enters his 3rd year with the Sammamish Totems and brings 10 years playing and 9 years coaching experience to the team (3 playoffs and 1 state championship appearances). Brian joined the Sammamish Totem staff in 2008 as Defensive Coordinator as well as Offensive and Defensive Line Coach. Brian was a Varsity Lettering football player for 2 years at Auburn High School before playing collegiate football at Western Washington and Washington State University. After college, Brian moved back to the west side of the mountains with his fiancée Holly and began coaching at Juanita High School. Brian coached from 2001 until 2003 at Juanita High School as the Offensive Line Coach. Leaving Juanita High School, Brian accepted a coaching position at Woodinville High School as Offensive and Defensive Line Coach from 2004 until 2006. Coaching at the same high school where his older brother, Coach Derek Tucci PhD, was Assistant Principal. All three years that Brian coached at Woodinville they qualified for state and in 2005 they took 2nd Place in State. After his third year at Woodinville, Brian accepted a coaching position at Sammamish H.S. in 2008 as Defensive Coordinator as well as Offensive and Defensive Line Coach. “I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to be the head coach at Sammamish High School. Becoming a Head Football Coach has been a long goal of mine ever since my sophomore year at Auburn H.S. My family and I are excited to be a part of the Totem family and I look forward to another great year in Sammamish Football.” When Brian is not coaching football or spending time with his wife and son, he works for AT&T Wireless in Redmond. Entering his 4th year with AT&T, Brian is the Area Manager in charge of the Project Management team for the Rocky Mountain Region. Brian lives in Sammamish with his wife of ten years Holly with son Tanner (7 years old). Brian met his wife in the varsity weight room at Washington State University in 1999. Holly and Tanner have attended every game Brian has coached in since Tanner was born in 2004 and look forward to our annual trip to Disneyland after every football season. “ “Holly and Tanner’s love and support are what make coaching football possible!”

Eric Harrington - Offensive Coordinator

Eric Harrington is a Sammamish High School Alumni. He played football and was a 3 year varsity starter for the Totems, including the 1999 state finals team his sophomore year. This is Eric’s 5th year as a coach with the Sammamish Totems, and 3rd year as the Offensive Coordinator.

Eric has 12 years playing experience starting at 8 years old in the Bellevue Bears football program. He played at SHS for 4 years, and then took a 2 year hiatus from playing football once he graduated to focus on work and school. This is when he first decided he wanted to be a football coach and got his chance coaching for the Bellevue Bears. Once the itch to play returned, he attended Diablo Valley “Junior” College in California and played for 2 years before transferring to the University of South Dakota.

“I am excited to return to Sammamish where many of my greatest memories from football remain. Knowing that I can be a part of creating the same memories for this group of young men is a great joy in my life. Having the players think back with pride about what they achieved with their teammates and friends, is my goal as a coach. I ready for a great season this year, and excited in the new direction this program is heading. ”

Derek Tucci - Offensive Assistant/ Wide Receivers

Derek Tucci enters his third year as offensive assistant coach with the Totems. He brings six years of previous coaching experience at the collegiate and high school levels.

In the 1993 and 1994 seasons, Derek worked as an undergraduate assistant coach at Pacific Lutheran University under Frosty Westering. Both years PLU competed for the NAIA Division II National Championship, winning the title in 1993 and placing 2nd in 1994. In the 1995 and 1996 seasons, he worked as graduate assistant at Washington State University working with video and scouting under Mike Price. In the 1995 season, Derek coached receivers at Issaquah High School making it to the state quarterfinals. Derek returned to coaching at Issaquah High School 2000 as the Head Freshman/Varsity Assistant coach.

Derek has also spent time in athletic administration at various levels. He served as Issaquah High School’s Athletic Director in 1996. In 1997 and 1998 he worked as intern in Washington State University’s athletic department while obtaining his doctoral degree in Higher Education Administration. In 1999, Derek became the Director of Donor Relations for Portland State University’s athletic department before moving back to Seattle to be closer to family.

Derek currently lives in Kirkland with his wife Christy and daughters Madison and Brooke. He is in his sixth year as Assistant Principal at Canyon Park Junior High in Bothell.

Kevin Foreman - Defensive Backs and Receivers

Kevin Foreman returns for his 4th year as the DB/WR coach with the Totems. Kevin brings 11 years of playing experience to his role as a coach.

As a senior, Kevin lead North Medford High School (Medford, OR) to the State Championship game in 2000, finishing 2nd, and was selected as an all-state quarterback and the MVP of the Les Schwab Oregon Bowl All-Star game. Kevin spent his collegiate career at Linfield College (McMinnville, OR), beginning as a quarterback. After a shoulder injury ended his throwing career, he moved to the defensive side of the ball to play Rover (defensive back). He played from 2001–2005, winning a Division III National Championship in 2004 and reaching the national semi-final game in 2005. He finished his college career with a 44-3 record, and as a senior Kevin was selected as a 1st team All-NWC defensive back. While at Linfield Kevin also met a super awesome Linfield soccer player who recently became his wife! He graduated in 2005 with a B.S. in Business Management and recently completed his Masters in Finance from Seattle University.

When he is not on the field, Kevin spends his time working at The Boeing Company as a financial analyst.

Bob Moretti - Running Backs and Linebackers

Bob Moretti is in his 5th year at Sammamish High School, coaching the running backs and linebackers. He is a graduate of Highland Park High School, Highland Park, IL and Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI., and was a member of the football teams. Bob has coached football in Illinois, Michigan, New York and Washington State. He has also coached football at both the secondary and collegiate level. He has been married for 32 years to his wife Veda and they have three adult children.

Rylen Akana - Special Teams / Head C-team Coach

Rylen has been involved with the Sammamish Football program, as a volunteer coach, since 2003. He has had two sons, Casey and Cameron, who were All-Kingco players for the Totems. Rylen has decided to dedicate his time to the Sammamish Football program as a full-time coach this year and will be coaching the Freshmen team and special teams on the varsity level.

Rylen has 11 years of high school football coaching experience, stemming from his college years in Utah, to Hawaii, to Washington.

Rylen is a native Hawaiian from Molokai, Hawaii. Graduated from Molokai High School in 1981 and then served a two year proselyting mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in French speaking Montreal, Quebec. Upon returning from his mission, he attended Brigham Young University in 1984 and played linebacker for the Cougars. The Cougars went to the Holiday Bowl that year and defeated the Michigan Wolverines 24-17 to capture the NCAA Division I National Football Championship.

Rylen has a passion for the game and wanted to learn how to be a coach, so he volunteered to be an assistant to BYU defensive coordinator Dick Felt. There he learned the intricacies of the game from scouting, to breaking down game film, coaching techniques and preparing scouting reports.

Missing his home in Hawaii and enduring numerous winter seasons, Rylen married his college sweetheart, Paree Barnard from Mountlake Terrace, Washington. They decided to moved to the warmth of Hawaii and graduate from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. They had two sons born to them in Hawaii (Casey and Cameron) before they made the move back to Washington state in 1993 to start a career.

They settled in Bellevue and have lived here for 18 years. Rylen and Paree had three more children born in Bellevue (Morgan-17, Mary-12 and Coby-10.

Rylen works as a real estate professional for GreenWorks Realty and focuses on green living, greenbuilt homes and sustainable living.

Wes Newton - Assistant C-Team Coach

Entering his first season as Assistant C-Team Coach Wes is a Sammamish High School Alumni and former Totem Basketball player, graduating in 1999. He is currently going into his 6th year as Head Varsity Basketball Coach and works at the school in the Cascade Department. Wes is recently married to his wife Abby.
Wes is looking forward to being a part of the Sammamish Totem Football Program and learning more from the Varsity Coaches.