In his first season on the Rainbow Warrior coaching staff, Mayur Chaudhari made quite a first impression as special teams coordinator. In addition to special teams, he will transition from coaching the tight ends to defensive ends in 2017.
Last season, Chaudhari directed a special teams unit that featured kicker Rigoberto Sanchez, who served the dual role of placekicker and punter for the second straight season and earned honorable mention all-Mountain West honors at both positions. Sanchez is currently in camp with the Indianapolis Colts after concluding a two-year career that saw him finish as the school’s all-time leader in career punting average (44.8) and single-season field goal accuracy (13-for-13).
In addition, freshman defensive lineman Viane Moala blocked two kicks, including a potential game-winning field goal to preserve a victory over rival Fresno State on the road.
Chaudhari, the son-in-law of former University of Hawai‘i head coach Dick Tomey, came to Manoa after two seasons as an assistant coach at Lenoir-Rhyne University, where he oversaw the special teams and secondary for the Bears.
In 2015, L-R topped the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) and ranked fourth in the nation in net punting under Chaudhari’s guidance, the unit led by all-SAC punter Michael DeStephens, who improved his average by 3.5 yards after his sophomore season working with Chaudhari. The Bears’ special teams also received a nod for all-SAC kick returner Kristaan Ivory, who led the conference with a 25.9 average and ranked fourth in the nation. Also in 2015, cornerback Ivan Milliken provided the Bears with four blocks on special teams; three punts and a field goal.
Also under Chaudhari’s charge, rookie cornerback Kyle Dugger was named the SAC Defensive Freshman of the Year after intercepting four passes and breaking up six more, while also blocking two kicks and scoring touchdowns on a punt return and blocked field goal. Another L-R corner, Cliff Barrett, drew national attention on a highlight-reel interception, earning No. 1 on that week’s ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 Plays. Safety Chris Shaffer also was named for first-team all-SAC honors and picked up CoSIDA Academic All-America second-team accolades after recording 157 takedowns and six picks.
In 2014, L-R finished 11-1 and claimed the conference title and No. 1 seed in the NCAA Playoffs, before finishing the season No. 8 in the nation. Under Chaudhari in 2014, both free safety Marcus Kincaid and placekicker Justin Powell earned all-SAC accolades. Powell also earned all-region and All-American honors as well after making 11-of-13 field-goal attempts and 54-of-57 extra points.
Chaudhari arrived at L-R after spending one season (2013) as Army West Point’s safeties coach, serving as an assistant under former University of Hawai’i defensive coordinator Rich Ellerson. He was also the United States Military Academy’s head junior varsity coach during his stint in West Point, fulfilling roles as the defensive and special teams coordinator. One of Chaudhari’s Black Knights safeties, Thomas Holloway, earned second-team Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, leading the team in tackles despite missing four games.
Chaudhari also coached at the U.S. Military Academy Prep School as the special teams coordinator, and worked with the secondary, linebackers and wide receivers for two seasons (2011-12). In addition, Chaudhari was the school’s head track and field coach.
Chaudhari also had stints at Virginia Military Institute (2010) as safeties and nickels coach and San José State (2008-09) as a graduate assistant with roles as special teams, safeties and linebackers coach, where he worked under coach Tomey. At SJSU, Chaudhari mentored current Washington Redskins safety Duke Ihenacho to first-team all-Western Athletic Conference honors in 2009.
While in recent years he has coached on the eastern seaboard, Chaudhari’s roots are on the west coast, holding numerous tenures in California, including one season at his alma mater, UC Davis (2007), as linebackers coach following a year at Stanford (2006) as a defensive intern aiding the secondary coaches and Menlo College (2005), where he worked with the team’s running backs, served as video coordinator and assisted in recruiting.
He began his collegiate coaching career at UC Davis in 1998 as video coordinator and an offensive assistant. Following his initial season, his role expanded and assisted with running backs and tight ends while continuing to serve as video coordinator. In addition to his football workload, he also competed for UC Davis men’s lacrosse.
Building up greater special-teams experience during the summer of 2015, he participated in a Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship with the Atlanta Falcons.
Chaudhari is married to the former Leigh Kincaid, who is the daughter of former University of Hawai’i head coach Dick Tomey (1977-86). A San Jose native, he earned his bachelor’s degree in English with a history minor from UC Davis in 2002.
The Chaudhari File
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
Alma Mater: UC Davis (B.S., 2002)
Family: Wife, Leigh
Coaching Experience
2017: Hawai‘i, Assistant (S.T. Coordinator, Defensive Ends)
2016: Hawai'i, Assistant (S.T. Coordinator, Tight Ends)
2014-15: Lenoir-Rhyne, Assistant (Special Teams Coordinator, Secondary)
2013: Army West Point, Assistant (Safeties, Junior Varsity Head Coach)
2011-12: U.S. Military Academy Prep School (Secondary, Wide Receivers, Special Teams)
2009-10: Virginia Military Institute [VMI] (Safeties/Nickels)
2009: San Jose State (Special Teams, Safeties)
2008: San Jose State (Special Teams, Assistant Linebackers)
2007: UC Davis (Linebackers)
2006: Stanford, Intern (Secondary)
2005: Menlo College (Running Backs, Video Coordinator)
2001: UC Davis (assistant tight ends, Video Coordinator)
2000: UC Davis (assistant running backs, Video Coordinator)
1998-99: UC Davis (Video Coordinator, Offensive Assistant)
