A 32-year coaching veteran who has been prominent in the preparation of NFL prospects, Mike Cox enters his third season as UTEP’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach under Dana Dimel in 2020. Cox installed an aggressive and physical defense to the program.
In 2019, the Miner stop troops featured a second team All-Conference USA defensive end (senior Denzel Chukwukelu) as well as a burgeoning prospect in defensive end Praise Amaewhule, who made the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. Junior cornerback Josh Caldwell registered 11 pass breakups, tied for the eighth-most in a season in school history. Meanwhile, senior safety Justin Rogers became the first UTEP player to record an interception in four separate seasons since future NFL standout Quintin Demps achieved the feat from 2004-07.
Cox's first season at UTEP produced a defense that made multiple improvements from the 2017 campaign. The Miners allowed over 440 yards in 2017, ranking 13th in Conference USA. The UTEP defense cut its yards per game allowed to 394.7 in 2018. The Miners yielded 4,736 yards, ranking sixth in C-USA after allowing over 5,300 yards the year prior. UTEP rated second in C-USA in passing yards allowed (2,387) and fifth in passing yards allowed per game (194.1).
The linebacker corps was led by second team All-C-USA performer A.J. Hotchkins. The Oregon transfer started in all 12 games and tied for the league lead in total tackles (126). He ranked 17th nationally, averaging 10.5 stops per game in his only season with the Orange and Blue. Hotchkins also produced a team-leading seven sacks and added four quarterback hurries. Fellow linebacker Jamar Smith totaled 80 tackles, tied for second on the squad, and tied for the team lead with a pair of forced fumbles. Standouts for the 2018 Miner secondary included Nik Needham, who finished his career as the school's all-time leader in pass breakups (33), and Kahani Smith, who paced the squad with 10 pass breakups. Needham currently plays for the Miami Dolphins in the NFL.
In five seasons as the linebackers coach at Kansas State (2012-16), Cox tutored five linebackers that earned All-Big 12 status, including Arthur Brown who earned 2012 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Brown went on to become a second round draft pick by Baltimore in 2013 and had stints with the Jaguars, Jets and Seahawks.
Cox also coached Elijah Lee, who rose from high school defensive end to two-time All-Big 12 linebacker, the first Wildcat to earn consecutive All-Big 12 honors since Brown (2011-12). Lee earned second team recognition from the league’s coaches in 2015 after becoming K-State’s leading tackler as a sophomore. He was also K-State’s first underclassman linebacker to earn first or second team all-conference honors since College Football Hall of Fame inductee Mark Simoneau in 1998. He had a team-leading three interceptions and led Cox’s group with 5.5 sacks, helping the Wildcats finish ninth nationally and eighth in school history with 38 sacks. Under Cox, Lee recorded five career interceptions, the most by a Kansas State linebacker in the Bill Snyder era. Lee tallied a team-leading 110 tackles in the 2016 season, good for third in the Big 12 in total tackles and tied for 18th nationally in solo tackles per game (5.5). His 72 unassisted tackles gave him a share of ninth place in the Kansas State record book. Lee was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round in 2016, and spent time on their practice squad before the San Francisco 49ers picked him up in September 2017.
In addition to Lee, Cox also mentored Charmeachealle Moore in his final season at K-State. In 2016, Moore played to an all-conference level, averaging 10.8 tackles over the Wildcats' final four contests to help the team post three wins and become bowl eligible for the sixth-straight year. In 2015, Moore came away with 17 tackles – including 16 solo stops – in the regular-season finale against West Virginia on his way to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Moore’s 16 solo stops were tied for the most nationally during the 2015 season and were the most by a Wildcat in at least a quarter century. Moore’s effort earned him 2016 Second Team All-Big 12 to end his run as a Wildcat as he recorded 142 total tackles, 112 of which were unassisted, and 5.5 sacks in his career. Moore signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017.
The impressive performances by Lee and Moore followed another All-Big 12 linebacker in Jonathan Truman the year prior. A 13-game starter in 2014, Truman carded 128 tackles to finish third in the Big 12 and 18th in school history. He tallied the most stops by a Wildcat since 2003, while notching 79 unassisted tackles, the third-most in school history and 14th-most nationally during the season. Thanks to Cox’s guidance, Truman, a former walk-on, recorded seven double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 17 in a win at no. 11 Oklahoma -- the most by a K-State defender in 11 years. Truman was also a semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, presented to the nation’s top walk-on.
With the coaching of Cox and leadership of Truman, the K-State defense ranked second in the Big 12 in scoring defense and third in both total defense and red zone defense.
Cox made an instant impact on the Wildcat linebackers in 2012 as he tutored two All-Big 12 performers and an All-American in Brown. Under Cox’s tutelage, Brown was named a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award. He also helped K-State finish first in the Big 12 in scoring defense as the Wildcats yielded 22.1 points per game. The Wildcat defense also finished second in the conference and 10th in school history in fewest rushing yards allowed per game. In addition, Kansas State’s 376.5 yards allowed per game were the third-fewest in the conference.
In 2013, All-Big 12 linebacker Blake Slaughter led a Wildcat defense that ranked third in the Big 12 in rushing, scoring and total defense. Slaughter’s 110 tackles ranked sixth in the Big 12, and third among linebackers. Truman, in his first year as a starter, also had 89 tackles.
A 1989 graduate of the University of Idaho, Cox came to K-State from Washington where he served as linebackers coach for three seasons. Prior to joining the Huskies, Cox worked two seasons (2007-08) for the St. Louis Rams, coaching the secondary and linebackers.
Cox was vital to the success at Washington over a three-year period as he tutored Cort Dennison to All-Pac-12 honors in 2011 before coaching one of the conference’s top linebacker groups in 2010. Senior Mason Foster led the league and finished second in the nation with 163 total tackles, the most by a Pac-10 player since 1989. Foster went on to earn first team All-Pac-10 and first team All-America honors. Meanwhile, Victor Aiyewa finished first in the conference and seventh in the nation in tackles for loss, while Dennison was seventh in the league in total tackles.
In his first season as the UW linebackers coach in 2009, Cox helped oversee one of the Huskies’ strongest units. The linebacker corps was led by a pair of veterans in Foster and Donald Butler. The duo combined for 193 tackles, including 94 from Butler, who was an All-Pac-10 second team selection. Cox also helped coach a defense that made vast improvements over the previous season as opponents’ total offense was reduced by an average of 62 yards per game and opponents scored 12 fewer points per game than in 2008.
A native of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Cox joined the UW staff from the St. Louis Rams where he worked for two seasons. In 2007, he was a defensive quality control/defensive line coach before moving to assistant secondary coach in 2008. After a midseason coaching change, he became linebackers coach for the Rams. Before his time in the NFL, Cox spent four seasons as linebackers coach at Michigan State, where he was also the recruiting coordinator in 2006.
Much of Cox’s coaching career has been spent on the various coaching staffs of John L. Smith. In all, Cox served 17 seasons for Smith at Michigan State, Louisville, Utah State and Idaho.
Cox coached the linebackers for five seasons at Louisville (1998-2002), helping the Cardinals to consecutive Conference USA championships in 2000 and 2001. He coached three All-C-USA selections and, in 2000, was part of a defense that forced an NCAA-best 37 turnovers. The 2002 Louisville team was 17th in the nation in rushing defense and 22nd in total defense.
From 1995-97, he was on the staff at Utah State where he coached a pair of All-Big West linebackers, David Gill and Tony D’Amato. In 1995, Gill broke Utah State’s season record for tackles with 168. Utah State won back-to-back Big West Conference championships in 1996 and 1997.
As an assistant at Idaho from 1987-94 coaching linebackers and the defensive line, Cox helped his alma mater to a combined record of 73-26 (.733), capturing four Big Sky Conference championships and finishing in the top 10 five times. In 1994, the Vandals led the Big Sky in rushing defense, allowing only 65.3 yards per game.
Cox was a four-year letterwinner at linebacker for Idaho from 1983-86, starting for three seasons. He played for head coaches Dennis Erickson and Keith Gilbertson. He still ranks among the Vandals’ all-time leaders with 252 career tackles. For his efforts in both high school and college, Cox was inducted into the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014.
Cox earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Idaho in 1989. He and his wife, Jill, have three children, Zac, Jake and Addison.
COACHING HISTORY
2018-Present: UTEP (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2012-16: Kansas State (Linebackers)
2009-11: Washington (Linebackers)
2007-08: St Louis Rams (Defensive Assistant DB/LB)
2003-06: Michigan State (Linebackers)
1998-2002: Louisville (Linebackers)
1995-97: Utah State (Linebackers)
1987-94: Idaho (Linebackers)
