PROVO, Utah-Thursday, BYU football announced the hiring of Harvey Unga as the squad’s new running backs coach. This is per a statement from head coach Kalani Sitake.

Prior to this, Unga had served as a graduate assistant for the Cougars for the past four years. Among his various responsibilities were working with the running backs, wide receivers and offensive line.

Unga expressed his gratitude for the promotion, thanking BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe, deputy athletic director Brian Santiago, offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes and Sitake for their faith in him.

Unga starred from the Cougars from 2006-2009 and is the only tailback in school history to run for 1,000 yards in successive seasons.

Unga ran for 3,455 yards and 36 touchdowns as a collegian, averaging 5 yards per carry. He also hauled in 102 receptions for 1,085 yards and 9 touchdowns, showcasing his versatility.

The former Timpview High School star was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 2010 NFL Supplemental Draft.

He appeared on the Bears’ official roster in 2012 but recorded no statistics, per profootballreference.com.

In 2014, he signed with both the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars, but did not record any statistics with them. He retired following the 2014 NFL season.

Unga is a 2012 graduate of BYU and will complete a Master’s of public administration this year from BYU’s Marriott School of Business.

His wife, Keilani, is a former BYU women’s basketball player and is currently an assistant coach on the women’s basketball staff at nearby Utah Valley University.