New Oaks Football Coach Brings Ferocious Love of Game to Menlo

By Joel Blake
Menlo Oak Staff

Just a few days into 2012 and Menlo College was making headlines. Mark Speckman was named coach of the football program.

Speckman, who played two years at linebacker for Menlo in the 1970s, said he is ready for a challenge. The Oaks football team has struggled for the past eight seasons. They have never finished above .500. Now, with the college starting to award athletic scholarships, expectations are high that the team can breakthrough and become a top-tier competitor.

Stepping into Speckman’s office it’s easy to see that he has just begun the process of moving in. There isn’t much in the room, but the coach’s enthusiasm and spirit fill his new headquarters.

The coach’s resume provides students and players even more reason to believe that Menlo’s football program is in for a change.

(New Menlo coach Mark Speckman on far left)
Photo: Menlo Athletic Department

Linebacker Devon Jonsson, a fourth year senior, said he is excited with the hiring of the new coach. Jonsson believes that with coach Speckman at helm, the Oaks are sure to become a powerhouse program.

Speckman spent 14 years coaching at the high school level. Following that he took on a head coaching position at Willamette University, a Division III School, in Salem, Ore. During his 17 years at Willamette, Speckman’s teams won five conference championships.

When the coaching position at Menlo opened up, Speckaman said he couldn’t pass up the a chance to coach at the school where he once played. The opportunity to be back at home has the coach enthused and eager to start the upcoming season.

“We’re good on defense; we have been for the last three years. The biggest changes will be on offense,” Jonsson said, “Coach Speckman has been very successful with ‘The Fly'  offense."

Jonsson is right. The coach’s signature Fly offense, has been nationally noted, and has even found its way into the current playbook of the San Francisco 49ers. The Fly offense consists of players who go in motion prior to the snap, creating confusion for the defense, by the movement of the motion man. Speckman says he developed the strategy in his earlier years of coaching out of necessity.

Speckman has been playing since he was in the sixth grade. He said football has woven its way into the fabric of his life.

“I think my first memory of football was just playing out in the street with my older brother and dad. Playing street ball, running into cars and scraping my knee,” Speckman said.

“I played football right down the street in San Carlos,” he added.

“I remember playing when I was just a skinny little poop.”

The Bay Area is where many of Speckman’s earliest football memories were created.

“I remember when the Raiders played at Candlestick. I was only about five or six, but my dad would always make us go and get autographs from the players when we were at the games. I remember one time Sid Gilman, the (San Diego) Chargers head coach, got a ball for me and he brought me on the bus with all the Chargers so that I could get autographs. After that I was a pretty big Chargers fan,” Speckman said contently.

“I always loved the 49ers though. The 49ers were always a big deal for me.”

“I remember one of the kids on my team, his brother played for the 49ers. He would take us to the practices. This was back when they would play at Kezar,” the coach continued. “Christopher Milk was a guy who would give free tickets to kids. We’d get the tickets and sit in the ‘Milk’ section, which was the worst place to sit, but we loved it.”

Love for the game is what Coach Speckman brings to Menlo.

“I love the whole thing. I love the grind, the work ethic, the terror factor, the strategy involved. I think it’s a great metaphor for life. It’s the only sport where every guy on every play has to make it happen. I kind of dig that.”

Making it happen is exactly what coach Speckman did as a player, right in the middle of the action. He played linebacker in the 73’ and 74’ seasons for Menlo and his picture can be seen hanging on the wall in the Athletics Department. In the photo, Speckman is styling a 1970s hair do.

“Menlo was a big deal for me. In high school I wasn’t sure I could play in college. My high school coach went to Menlo, and he thought I could play there. I talked to Coach (Ray) Solari, and he told me I could come out. It was a little intimidating at first because there was a lot of talent. A few guys went to the Pac-10. I really liked it though, and I have some real good memories of Menlo.”

“Football is a great sport because you can just go out there and prove yourself. It’s a true meritocracy. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor. Doesn’t matter what side of the tracks you’re from. You can prove yourself, and that was important to me.”