SAN ANTONIO — UTSA head football coach Larry Coker announced Wednesday that assistant coach Mike Menefee has resigned from his position to pursue other business opportunities.
“We are disappointed to see Coach Menefee leave, but we certainly understand his reasoning,” Coker said. “He has been instrumental in helping us build this program from the ground up. Mike has been a tireless recruiter and valuable member of our staff during the past two years. We will miss him and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Menefee was one of the first three assistant coaches hired by Coker in April 2009. He coached the Roadrunners’ defensive backs this past fall, was an integral part of UTSA’s first two signing classes and also was heavily involved with the day-to-day operations of the program.
“Being a part of the beginning of UTSA Football has been a great experience,” Menefee said. “This was a difficult decision, but ultimately, I was presented an opportunity that was too good to pass up. I have the utmost respect toward Coach Coker and his program and wish the team nothing but the best as they begin a historic season this fall.”
Menefee came to UTSA from Illinois State, where he was an assistant coach from 2005-08. He mentored the safeties for three seasons, guiding both starters — Jesse Caesar and Tom Nelson (a free agent signee of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2009) — to All-Missouri Valley Conference honors. In 2006, Menefee’s safeties were key contributors to the defense’s 17 interceptions, the most by the program since 1989.
Prior to joining the Redbirds staff, Menefee was the head coach at Edna (Texas) High School for five seasons. He led the 2002 squad to the playoffs, which snapped an eight-year drought, and the Cowboys finished that campaign with a 7-4 record. He joined the coaching staff in 1998 and took over as athletics director and head coach during the 2000 season. Menefee sent 18 players to the collegiate level during his tenure.
Menefee got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Tulsa in 1980, working with the secondary. He then served as Texas A&M-Kingsville’s secondary coach the next season.
Menefee played collegiately at Tulsa with current Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith and former Illinois State head coach Denver Johnson. He was a two-year starter at free safety for the Golden Hurricane after transferring from Kilgore (Texas) College.
Menefee earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Tulsa in 1981. He and his wife, Shelley, have a son, Garrett, and a daughter, Mary Kathryn.
