Cal Poly football team brings back Saadat to coach defensive line

One day after announcing its 2016 recruiting class, the Cal Poly football team welcomed another new member to the program Thursday morning.

Payam Saadat was hired to coach the Mustangs’ defensive line next season, according to a release put out by the school. He replaces Eti Ena, who left Cal Poly in January to coach at his alma mater and Big Sky Conference rival Eastern Washington.

This will be Saadat’s third stint coaching the Mustangs. Since leaving Cal Poly following the 2008 season, Saadat spent five years as the co-defensive coordinator at Army under former Mustangs head coach Rich Ellerson. He worked the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Central Washington.

A 43-year-old Washington State alumnus, Sadaat coached inside linebackers at Cal Poly in 1996 and 1997. He returned as a linebackers assistant ahead of the 2004 season, and was promoted to a full-time assistant position the following year. Sadaat took over as defensive coordinator in March 2006.

Sadaat was on staff during a dominant stretch for the Mustangs defense in the mid-2000s. He helped coach three consecutive Buck Buchanan Award winners in linebacker Jordan Beck (2004), defensive end Chris Gocong (2005) and linebacker Kyle Shotwell (2006).

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Cal Poly football team brings back Saadat to coach defensive line."