Sports Briefs

Gubrud, Tiuli named to STATS All-American team

Eagle quarterback Gage Gubrud and defensive tackle Jay-Tee Tiuli have been named to the STATS NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Preseason All-America Team announced July 31.

Gubrud, who finished third in the voting for last year’s Walter Payton Award presented by STATS, was a second team choice behind 2016 Payton winner Jeremiah Briscoe of Sam Houston State. Tiuli, a first team All-Big Sky selection a year ago, was on the third team and listed among the 97 players honored.

Tiuli earned first team All-Big Sky honors in 2016, starting seven of the 13 games he played at nose tackle while splitting time with senior Matthew Sommer. Tiuli finished his junior season with 33 tackles and four sacks.

As a first-year starter, Gubrud broke the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision record for passing yards with 5,160. In all, he broke three FCS records, seven Big Sky Conference marks and 18 EWU records.

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Pulver returns to EWU

Having spent four previous seasons at Eastern Washington University, Heath Pulver will return to EWU and serve as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator, Eastern head coach Aaron Best announced July 26.

Most recently, Pulver had coaching stints at Colorado State and Cal where he worked for a pair of ex-Eagle coaches. Pulver is a graduate of both Eastern and nearby University High School in Spokane.

“For lots of reasons we are excited to get Heath back to Cheney and close to his hometown,” Eastern head coach Aaron Best said.

Best also announced that new offensive line coach Jase Butorac will officially assume duties as academic coordinator, veteran linebackers coach Josh Fetter will handle high school relations, new running backs coach Kevin Maurice will add the title of video coordinator and Brian Strandley will the school’s liaison with professional football teams.

Pulver was at Cal with former Eagle head coach Beau Baldwin since April as an offensive quality control coach. Previously, he spent five seasons at Colorado State working with special teams, including the 2012-14 seasons under former Eagle assistant coach Jim McElwain, who is now head coach at Florida.

Before that, Pulver was tight ends coach and special teams assistant for the Eagles in the 2010 and 2011 seasons.