Chris Mineo will enter his fourth season at UT Permian Basin as associate head coach/ co-defensive coordinator. Prior to coming to UTPB, Mineo spent seven seasons coaching the Defensive Line and spent four years as recruiting coordinator at Tarleton State.
The 2018 season was by far the best showing for the Falcon defense. The defense showed major improvements from 2017. The defense allowed 322 points and 3,720 yards which was 144 less points (13.1 points per game) and 777 yards (70.6 yards per game) from 2017. These totals are down from 552 points allowed and 5,794 yards in 2016, the team's inaugural season.
The Falcon defense was honored after the season when linebacker Chris Hoad was named D2CCA All-Super Region Four First Team as well as Lone Star Conference Linebacker of the Year. Linebacker Keegan Gray was named an LSC Honorable Mention.
Four defensive lineman were recognized by the LSC in 2017. John O’Kelley was named LSC Freshman of the Year with 5.5 sacks, tied the team lead with three forced fumbles, and tied the NCAA lead with four blocked kicks. Frank Seiuli started all 11 games for the Falcons and ended the season with 44 tackles and 10 tackles for loss to earn All-Conference Second Team honors.
Leti Manu and Marquee Allison earned conference Honorable Mentions. Manu had 35 total tackles with 10 tackles for loss. Allison had 15 tackles, along with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble, along with 112 yards rushing and a touchdown on the offensive side of the ball.
In 2014, Mineo’s defensive line finished the season with 24.5 Sacks which was second in the Lone Star Conference. Defensive End Anthony Gonzales finished the season with nine sacks which led the Lone Star Conference. Gonzales was also a 2nd Team LSC DE, while DT Juan Gonzalez was Honorable Mention LSC Member.
In 2013, Mineo’s defensive line suffered injuries to key players. Despite the injuries, Mineo’s linemen helped the Texans to the league’s No. 3-ranked rushing defense and No. 3-ranked red-zone defense. Mineo had 11 defensive linemen record a tackle in 2013 with Patrick Bettiol leading all linemen with 32 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, and a sack. Freshman Jake Blount also recorded a team-best six sacks.
In 2012, Mineo coached a defensive line that helped the Texan defense hold opponents to just 3.9 yards per rush and 137.8 rushing yards per game. His defensive line accounted for 18.5 of the 29 total sacks the defense had, including 10 by the LSC Defensive Lineman of the Year and sixth-round NFL Draft pick, Rufus Johnson.
The 2011 season saw Mineo’s crew make a statement as his line combined for 20 sacks and 48.5 tackles for loss. Rufus Johnson finished No. 2 in the LSC with 15.5 tackles for loss while Logan Johnson finished No. 3 in the LSC with eight sacks. He mentored a defensive line in 2010 that averaged 24 tackles per game among the top seven players on the line.
In 2009, he coached one of the best defensive lines in the Lone Star Conference. He coached Second Team All-LSC South Division selections Ben Taifane and Alonzo Horton and honorable mention members Bryant Bray, Jamaal Steamer and Jacob Rowe.
In 2008, he helped direct second-team All-LSC South Division selection, Jamaal Steamer and honorable mention selection, Alonzo Horton while the Texan defensive line tallied 56.5 tackles for loss while the overall defense had 24 sacks.
A four-year defensive lineman at the University of Texas-El Paso, Mineo signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins after college before returning to UTEP as a student assistant in 2006. He became a graduate assistant for the Miners in the spring of 2007 before heading to Tarleton in January of 2008.
While at UTEP, Mineo recorded 188 tackles for the Miners, including 84 solo stops and finished his career second All-Time in Sacks with 16.5.
In 2005, Mineo tallied 20 tackles, including 13 solo stops. He had eight tackles for a loss of including six sacks for the Miners in only five games as a senior. As a junior, the Odessa native was named first-team All-Western Athletic Conference as a defensive tackle after collecting 50 stops, including 39 solo tackles, leading the defensive line in total stops. He tied for the team lead with eight sacks and was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Week against San Jose State.
In 2003, Mineo led all Miner defensive linemen with 70 tackles, including 20 solo tackles. As a redshirt freshman in 2002, he played in all 12 games while making three starts. He was named to the All-WAC Freshman Team chosen by The Sporting News. He was the sixth-leading tackler with 48 stops, including five tackles for a loss.
Mineo was a first-team All-District 4-5A offensive tackle and second team all-district defensive end as a senior at Permian High School. The 2001 graduate of PHS was a three-year varsity letter winner for the Panthers and a four-year baseball letterman at pitcher and first base.
Mineo and his wife, Crystal, have three children: Cayden, Brailey and Cai.
