Former Power 4 assistant Mike Babock joins the UT Permian Basin football staff for his first season as the Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line Coach in 2025.
Babcock comes to UTPB from UCLA and McKendree University (Illinois). He was most recently the special assistant to UCLA Head Coach DeShaun Foster in 2024, and prior to that, was the head football coach for McKendree University from 2013 to 2023.
Babcock played linebacker for the Bruins from 1997-99. Following the 1999 season, he took on a coaching role at UCLA, becoming a graduate assistant in 2000. He later worked as a linebackers coach for the Bruins from 2001-02, a defensive line coach for UCLA in 2003, and the team's offensive line coach in 2004. Following his coaching start with the Bruins, Babcock became the offensive line, tight end, and special teams coach for Colorado for two seasons (2005-06). He became the tight ends coach at the University of San Diego (2007), and then the quarterbacks coach at Colorado State University-Pueblo (2008-12) before taking on a head coaching position at McKendree.
Coach Babcock was named as the 17th football coach in the history of the Bearcats’ program back in December 2013. During Babcock’s tenure at McKendree, the Bearcats were perennially in the hunt for a Great Lakes Valley Conference title, while helping the program excel on both sides of the football. Babcock spent 11 seasons with McKendree and went 58-52 and helped the team get to its first ever Division II postseason bid in 2023. Babcock led McKendree to its first win over a ranked opponent with a 21-16 victory over the University of Indianapolis.He also tutored a Harlon Hill candidate during the 2022 season in Turner Pullen.
Babcock came to McKendree after spending five years as an assistant coach at Colorado State University-Pueblo, one of the top NCAA Division II programs in the country. In his last four years at CSU-Pueblo, Babcock served as the ThunderWolves’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. Under his leadership, CSU-Pueblo registered back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and claimed Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) championships. The ThunderWolves were the top-ranked team in the final American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) regular-season poll in both 2011 and 2012. With Babcock at the offensive controls, CSU-Pueblo set 13 team and 15 individual offensive records as the ThunderWolves advanced to the national quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2012. CSU-Pueblo set new team season standards in every major passing category, including attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns and completion percentage. The ThunderWolves also established new records for total offensive yards, plays and points scored.
Babcock arrived at CSU-Pueblo after spending the 2007 season as the tight ends coach and director of football operations at the University of San Diego, where he helped the Toreros to a Pioneer Conference championship. Prior to that, Babcock served as the quality control intern for offense for two seasons at the University of Colorado. He served as an assistant in coaching the Buffaloes’ offensive line, tight end and special teams.
Babcock began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). He was an undergraduate and graduate assistant with the Bruins from 2000-04. After spending the 2000-02 season coaching the UCLA linebackers, Babcock shifted to defensive line coach in 2003. He wrapped up his stay at UCLA by guiding the Bruins’ offensive line in 2004. During his stay at UCLA, Babcock helped coach the Bruins to four bowl appearances, and also helped guide the top-ranked defensive unit in the Pac-10 in 2001.
As an undergraduate at UCLA, Babcock was a linebacker and played on the Bruins’ 1997 and 1998 Pac-10 championship squads, and played in both the Cotton Bowl (1998) and Rose Bowl (1999). UCLA put together a 20-game win streak during Babcock’s playing days. Babcock earned both of his degrees from UCLA – an undergraduate degree in 2002 along with his master’s degree in 2005.
Babcock and his wife Kimberly have two children: Tyler and Emily.
