UTPB Athletics

Chris Mineo enters his seventh season at UT Permian Basin as associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator, which he has served since the team’s inaugural season.  Before joining the Falcons, Mineo coached at Tarleton alongside current Head Coach Justin Carrigan.

The Falcon defense was strong once again in 2021.  Mineo led a defense that shut down two conference offensive player of the year recipients at Southwest Baptist and Oklahoma Baptist.  The line was once again solid recording 18 sacks and 23 quarterback hits.  In week five against Lincoln (CA), Mineo engineered the first shut out in program history, a 75-0 victory at Ratliff Stadium.  After the season La’Daidreain Glasker was named an honorable mention All-LSC member.

The defense was the story as the Falcons finished the spring of 2021 undefeated.  The Falcons shut down opposing offenses, allowing just 12.6 points per game and over the final three games went nearly 10 full quarters without giving up a score.  The defense shutout Texas A&M - Kingsville in week four, with the only points scored by the Javelinas coming off a safety.   The defensive line was a force recording 13 sacks and only allowed 2.6 yards per game on the ground.  Up front Dominque Varela led the way with 4.5 sacks while freshman Victor Idusuyi added 2.5.  

The Falcon defense in 2019 had some of their best showings in program history.  They held Wayland Baptist in the season opener to just seven points.  They had other terrific showings holding Midwestern State, West Texas A&M and Texas A&M – Kingsville all to just 14 points in their respective games.  The Falcon defense forced a program record 24 turnovers including 11 interceptions.  Four players earned All-Conference recognition after the season.  Chris Hoad recorded 157 tackles en route to being named Lone Star Conference Linebacker of the Year for the second straight year, All-Conference First Team and AFCA Second Team All-American.  Keegan Gray, Diego Assad and Donta Stuart earned All-Conference Honorable Mention.

The 2018 season showed major improvements from 2017.  The Falcon defense was honored after the season with linebacker Chris Hoad named D2CCA All-Super Region Four First Team member as well as Lone Star Conference Linebacker of the Year.  Linebacker Keegan Gray was named an LSC Honorable Mention.  UTPB allowed only 322 points and 3,720 yards which was 144 less points (13.1 points per game) and 777 less yards (70.6 yards per game) from 2017.  

In 2017, four defensive lineman were recognized by the LSC.  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 Second Team All-Conference honors.  Ieti Manu and Marquee Allison were All-Conference Honorable Mentions.  Manu finished with 35 total tackles with 10 tackles for loss, while 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.  
Mineo previously spent seven seasons at Tarleton State as defensive line coach and four years as recruiting coordinator.

While at Tarleton, Mineo’s defensive lines were regularly among the top in the Lone Star Conference producing 2012 Lone Star Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year and sixth-round draft pick Rufus Johnson as well as four Second Team All-Conference members and five Honorable Mention honorees.  

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.  As a junior, Mineo was named First Team All-Western Athletic Conference as a defensive tackle with 50 tackles and a team-high eight sacks.  Mineo was also an All-Western Athletic Conference Freshman Team with 48 tackles.

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.