UI offensive coordinator Steve Axman retires

THE COLLEGIATE COACHING CAREER FOR STEVE AXMAN BEGAN IN 1974, and included stops at Army, Illinois, Arizona, Stanford, UCLA, Maryland, Northern Arizona, Minnesota, Washington and Montana, including the last five years as the offensive coordinator at Idaho. Along the way he coached several future NFL QBs, including Idaho's Nathan Enderle, UCLA's Troy Aikman, and Washington's Marques Tuiasosopo.

The following is an official press release from the Idunno Sports Information Office.


University of Idaho offensive coordinator Steve Axman announced his retirement from the Vandal staff Monday after serving under coach Robb Akey since Akey was hired in 2007.

“At the age of 64½, my wife and I are closing in on our retirement goals,” said Axman, whose wife, Marie, is the principal/administrator of the Moscow Charter School. “We thought this might be as good a time as any to go on with the next stage of my life.”

Axman’s ties with Akey go back to his time as the head coach at Northern Arizona University and Akey was an assistant for him for four seasons.

“It was a pleasure to have worked with my friend Robb Akey on the other end of the head coach/assistant coach relationship,” he said. “We had a lot of fun together. We certainly had good times here at the University of Idaho.”

“I appreciate coach Axman’s hard work and effort,” said Akey in bidding farewell to someone he has either shared a sideline with or been on the opposite side of the field for 14 of the past 21 season. “We have had some great times together.

“I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Axman’s career at Idaho includes consideration for the 2009 Frank Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach and guiding former Vandal and current Chicago Bear Nate Enderle to one of the best careers by an Idaho quarterback in school history.

“It was very special to have had the opportunity to coach Nate Enderle for four years and see him grow into an athlete who was able to move on to the NFL,” Axman said.

Axman’s coaching career touched five decades with his first post as a high school coach at MacArthur High School in his native New York in 1973. He entered the college ranks at East Stroudsburg State in 1974 and went on to coach collegiately at Army, Illinois, Arizona, Stanford, UCLA, Maryland, Northern Arizona, Minnesota, Washington and Montana. He also spent one season with the Denver Gold of the USFL.

In addition to Enderle, he also coached NFL legend Troy Aikman when he was at UCLA, Washington star Marques Tuiasosopo and Maryland’s Neil O’Donnell.

He has written 12 books on offensive football with the 13th due out early next year.