Duane Akina

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Hometown
Honolulu, Hawaii

Alma Mater
Washington ’79

Recruiting Areas
California (Los Angeles County: Central, Gateway, San Gabriel Valley), Hawaii, Oklahoma, Texas (Central)

Notable Players Coached
Michael Griffin, Michael Huff, Quentin Jammer, Chris McAlister, Justin Reid, Jordan Richards, Aaron Ross, Earl Thomas, Kenny Vaccaro, Rod Babers, Tony Bouie, Chuck Cecil, Darryll Lewis, Nathan Vasher, Adrian Phillips, Adrian Colbert, Quandre Diggs, Jordan Richards, Alex Carter, Quenton Meeks, Justin Reid, Alijah Holder, Paulson Adebo

 

A 42-year coaching veteran, Duane Akina joined the Stanford coaching staff in 2014. Akina is the program's first Couch Family Defensive Backs Coach after his position was endowed by a gift from George '69 and Debra Couch. The 2022 season marks his ninth on The Farm.

Akina has coached three Thorpe Award winners, six Thorpe finalists and 41 defensive backs who have played in the NFL -- including seven Pro Bowlers, nine Super Bowl participants and 12 All-Americans. Akina has coached in 26 bowl games.

Kyu Blu Kelly continued to establish himself as an elite cornerback in 2021, earning All-Pac-12 second team honors after leading the conference with 13 pass defenses, including two interceptions. Safety Jonathan McGill returned for the final two games of the season, notching interceptions in both, while freshman Jimmy Wyrick was Stanford's primary starter at nickleback en route to earning the program's Most Outstanding Freshman Award. Kendall Williamson was third on the team with a career-high 66 tackles. Injuries again plagued Akina's group, as eleven different players started in the secondary. 

In 2020, two Cardinal defensive backs earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 in fifth-year free safety Malik Antoine and sophomore cornerback Kelly. Antoine finished third on the team with 38 tackles, to go along with three breakups, one interception and one sack. Kelly had 20 tackles and one breakup. Strong safety Kendall Williamson (32 tackles) and safety Jonathan McGill (3 TFL) also made strong strides in the pandemic-shortened season under Akina. 

Cornerback Paulson Adebo, a 2021 third-round pick of the New Orleans Saints, joined a long lineage of defensive backs mentored by Akina to be selected in the NFL Draft. 

For much of the 2019 season, Akina's group dealt with injuries, as eight different defensive backs each started at least three games, including freshmen CB Kyu Blu Kelly (nine starts) and NB Jonathan McGill (six starts). Preseason All-American and first team All-Pac-12 performer Paulson Adebo finished third nationally in passes defended per game (1.4), but missed the final three games of the season. Adebo's 38 passes defended over the last two seasons are the most by a single player in a two-year stretch in program history.
 
In 2018, Akina's secondary was led by the All-American Adebo, who led the nation with a school record 24 passes defended as a sophomore in 2018.

All-American safety Justin Reid was a third-round NFL Draft selection by the Houston Texans in 2018 and was a pivotal part of a Cardinal defense in 2017 that ranked 12th nationally in passes intercepted (18) and ninth in turnovers (28). Reid was one of three All-Pac-12 defensive backs, joining Quenton Meeks and Brandon Simmons.
 
In 2016, the secondary included two fifth-year senior safeties who provided the cornerstone of a deep and athletic unit. All-Pac-12 honorable mention safety Dallas Lloyd accounted for a team-high five of Stanford's 14 interceptions, including a pair to help secure Stanford's Sun Bowl win over North Carolina. Lloyd's total ranked 13th nationally and second among Pac-12 defenders. He was joined on the All-Pac-12 team by honorable mention selections Quenton Meeks and Justin Reid.
 
The Cardinal led the Pac-12 and ranked eighth nationally with four defensive touchdowns in 2016 and returned three picks for scores. Stanford also finished 25th nationally in team passing efficiency defense (117.75), a figure that was good for fourth among conference teams.
 
Anchored by All-Pac-12 second team defensive back Ronnie Harris, Akina’s secondary in 2015 included starting safeties Kodi Whitfield and Lloyd, who each transitioned from offense. The Cardinal posted the league’s fifth-best passing efficiency defense (123.96) and third-best total defense (368.3). Stanford’s secondary allowed only 6.76 yards/pass attempt while picking off eight, led by Meeks’ team-best three interceptions. Meeks added a pick-six in the Rose Bowl win over Iowa.
 
The Cardinal tied for fifth in the Pac-12 in pass breakups (51).
 
In Akina’s first season in 2014, Stanford finished second nationally in scoring defense and eighth in passing defense. The Cardinal allowed only one passing score in nine games, including a stretch of five with zero. Stanford forced the same number of interceptions as passing touchdowns allowed (12).
 
Strong safety Jordan Richards led the Cardinal with three interceptions and forced three fumbles, and was awarded the 2014 National Football Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete Award. Richards was a first team All-Pac-12 selection and finished his career with nine interceptions.
 
Akina came to Stanford from Texas, where he spent 13 seasons on defense while developing an impressive number of NFL defensive backs.
 
Akina’s secondary helped Texas rank among the nation’s top 10 in pass defense six times and featured consecutive Thorpe Award winners Michael Huff (2005) and Aaron Ross (2006) to go along with finalists in Earl Thomas (2009) and Quentin Jammer (2001) and 14 first team All-Big 12 picks.
 
Akina earned titles of assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator in Austin.
 
Prior to Texas, Akina spent 14 years at Arizona (1987-2000). He started as the defensive backs coach and was named associate head coach before spending four years as the offensive coordinator. He resumed defensive coordinator duties shortly before his departure.
 
Akina helped guide Arizona’s famed “Desert Swarm” defense, one of the nation’s most aggressive and productive groups. He coached 1990 Jim Thorpe Award winner Darryll Lewis and finalist Chris McAlister. Lewis went on to a 10-year NFL career and was a Pro Bowler for the San Diego Chargers. McAlister earned a spot in the 2004 Pro Bowl and was a member of the 2000 Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
 
Akina also spent five years at Hawaii (1981-85) following a graduate assistant role at his alma mater, Washington (1979-80).
 
His one season at the professional level came in 1986 when he served as the defensive backs coach for Calgary in the Canadian Football League.
 
A native of Hawaii, Akina graduated from Washington in 1979. He earned three letters as a quarterback for the Huskies.
 
Akina and his wife, Donna, have five children -- Kainoa, Keoni, Dionicia, Alli and Kamalii.