Browns to hire Tony Tuioti to be assistant defensive line coach per report

The Cleveland Browns have hired Tony Tuioti to be their assistant defensive line coach per a report from Pete Roussel of CoachingSearch.com.  Tuioti would be assisting Anthony Weaver to help a defensive line including Phil Taylor, Desmond Bryant, John Hughes and Billy Winn as they adapt to play in Mike Pettine’s defense.

Tuioti has spent his entire football related career at the University of Hawaii, which begs the question why he would go from there to Cleveland.  After playing as a defensive lineman for the Rainbows from 1996 to 1999, he was out of football until 2008.  Tuioti returned to be the Director of Pro Personnel in 2008 and 2009 before becoming a defensive tackles coach for two seasons.  He worked the past two seasons as an assistant linebackers coach.

At this point, it is not clear how or where Tuioti knows anyone on the Browns coaching staff.  Tuioti is 36 years old and given that he played defensive tackle in college, he might be focusing his attention on the interior defensive line while Weaver focuses his attention on the defensive ends as well as the line overall.