The Ducks will add a Washington State assistant to their football staff for the second consecutive year.

Joe Salave’a (Oregon athletic communications)

Oregon announced on Friday morning in a news release its addition of Joe Salave’a as assistant head coach and defensive line coach. He will move to Eugene after five seasons in Pullman. He’s also coached at Arizona and San Jose State.

Salave’a spent nine years in the NFL after being drafted out of Arizona. He played in Tennessee, Baltimore, San Diego and Washington.

At WSU, he helped to improve the Cougars’ defensive line in pass rush and rush defense. WSU finished the 2016 season ranked No. 29 nationally in run defense at 134.23 yards a game. Salave’a was due to make $400,000 at Washington State in 2017.

A Leone, American Samoa, native, Salave’a has been praised for his efforts in connecting with Samoan youth. He was also integral in recruiting over a dozen Samoan players to WSU.

The Oregonian’s Andrew Greif has details on his contract:

How highly does UO think of Joe Salave'a? His 3-year deal (other UO position coaches: 2 years) worth $550K annually. At WSU, was paid $345K. https://t.co/SJmbTIRmJE

— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) January 13, 2017

Salave’a will work alongside defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, cornerbacks coach Charles Clark and safeties coach Keith Heyward in working to rebuild Oregon’s defense.

Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne

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