ALBANY — Albany Empire coach Tom Menas has resigned following a 79-34 loss at the Jacksonville Sharks Saturday night.
“I have come to realize that my vision doesn’t match our ownership’s vision, and I need to do the right thing and step aside to allow the Albany Empire to find a head coach that matches their vision,” Menas said in a statement.
His tenure was in doubt even during the game. Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, the Empire’s majority owner, tweeted “New coach new trainer new players Who wanna Win?????” during the fourth quarter of the loss.
Menas won National Arena League titles with Albany in 2021 and 2022, but was fired by former owner Mike Kwarta before the start of the 2023 season, while Brown and Kwarta were still co-owners. Brown later purchased Kwarta’s remaining shares to become the 95 percent owner of the team; a Saratoga Springs couple retains the remaining 5 percent.
WNYT reported that Brown said former Union football coach John Audino, currently the coach at La Salle Institute, will replace Menas. Audino would be Albany’s third coach, with the season not yet halfway over. Audino and Albany Empire representatives could not immediately be reached for comment, though Audino told WNYT that he hasn’t accepted the job yet.
Offensive coordinator Damon Ware, who was also part of the two title runs, was promoted to replace Menas but left the team, along with eight top players, at the start of May following issues over payment and an incident on the team bus.
Menas returned to Albany at Brown’s invitation, citing a desire to keep a winning team in Albany.
“I came back to Albany because I wanted to help this team and this organization in a time where structure was needed,” he said in his statement.
Menas had just two days of practice with a largely new roster before his first game, a three-point loss to the West Texas Warbirds.
The Empire then had a bye week, during which veteran quarterback Jonathan Bane joined the team. But Saturday at Jacksonville, the Empire looked disjointed, with Bane taking a sack and throwing an interception on the team’s first drive. Albany was within two scores at halftime but had just two touchdowns in the second half, one each in the third and fourth quarters.
“I think you always reflect back and say, ‘well what if I would have done this, or what if I would have done that,’ ” Menas said in a post-game phone call, reflecting on his return to the Empire. “I think my heart was in it. I gave it my all.”
As for a message to the fans, he said, “Thank you for the greatest coaching time I’ve had. Thank you for the hospitality, thank you for the kindness you’ve shown me and my family.”
The Empire return home to MVP Arena next weekend for a game against the Fayetteville Mustangs. Brown has said he plans to play. It would be his first professional game action since his dramatic exit from the field as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer during the 2021 NFL season.