Marques Tuiasosopo joins the Lions in 2025 as an offensive assistant, his first job in the professional ranks. He most recently served as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Rice from 2021-24.
Prior to his tenure at Rice, Tuiasosopo spent the first 12 seasons of his coaching career in the Pac-12. He had stints as the tight ends coach (2019-20) and quarterbacks coach (2017-18) at California, the quarterbacks coach at UCLA in 2016, the assistant head coach/tight ends coach at USC from 2014-15, the quarterbacks coach at Washington in 2013 (he also served as the interim head coach for the 2013 Fight Hunger Bowl), the tight ends coach (2012) and a graduate assistant (2011) at UCLA and as an assistant strength & conditioning coach at Washington from 2009-10.
Before launching his coaching career, Tuiasosopo was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the second round (59th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft out of Washington, splitting his career with the Raiders (2001-06, 2008) and New York Jets (2007). He appeared in 13-career games (two starts) and completed 49-of-90 passes (54.4%) for 554 yards and two touchdowns.
A star collegiate player at Washington, he left the Huskies ranked first in program history in total offense (7,374 yards), accounting for 5,879 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns along with 1,495 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. He was the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and won Rose Bowl MVP honors in 2000, and in 1999, he became the first FBS player to pass for at least 300 yards and rush for at least 200 yards in the same game.
A member of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, Tuiasosopo was also selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 1997 MLB Draft, though he chose to purse college football.
He is married to his wife, Lisa, and they have two sons, Brayden and Bryce, and a daughter, Kylie.
