Staff

Tom Menas

Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator

In two seasons at the helm of the Albany Empire, Head Coach Tom Menas has led the Albany Empire to back to back National Arena League Championship titles. Since Menas' time in Albany, the Empire have been ranked #1 nationally amongst all arena football teams. A former NFL and USFL player, Menas has an extensive coaching background. He was linebackers and running back coach for the Arena Football League's Detroit Fury from 2001 to 2003. Menas served as defensive line coach for the CFL's Toronto Argonauts from 2004 to 2006, winning a Grey Cup in 2005.

He went into private coaching and athletic training until resurfacing with the Oakland (Mich.) club team, first as defensive coordinator and later as head coach. He had a two-year record of 23-1 at Oakland, winning the National Club Football Association championship in 2016.

Menas spent 2018 as head coach of the Oakland County Racers of the Rivals Professional Football League and in 2019 was offensive/defensive line and special teams coach of the IFL's Green Bay Blizzard.

For the 18 months prior to signing with the Empire, Menas spent his time in New Jersey, as assistant head coach for the NAL's Jersey Flight.

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Damon Ware

Offensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach

Damon Ware returns to the Albany Empire for his third season as the Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator. With Ware at the helm of the offense, the Empire has ranked at the top of the NAL in both passing and rushing offenses and won back-to-back championships. Ware has produced the Offensive Player of the Year Darius Prince in 2021 and the League MVP Darius Prince in 2022.

Ware has served as Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator for the 2020 Omaha Beef, 2019 Nebraska Danger, 2018 Cedar Rapids Titans, and the 2017 Colorado Crush. Ware served as Head Coach for the 2012-2013 Cheyenne Warriors, 2011 Calanda Broncos (Switzerland), 2010 Oulu Northern Lights (Finland), 2004-2005 Black Hills Red Dogs.

In 2008, Ware worked as the Quarterbacks Coach at Colorado State University-Pueblo. In 2001, Coach Ware was honored with the opportunity to coach with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) through the Minority Internship Fellowship program. Ware worked as an assistant wide receivers coach.

Ware has held several roles at the high school level serving as Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator 2013 Adams City High School, as Defensive Coordinator William Hinkley High School from 1998-2000, and returned as Offensive Coordinator from 2002-2003. Ware and his wife, Nanie, live in Texas with their son, Dario.

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Michael Custer

Offensive/Defensive Line

Custer has an extensive history of coaching in arena football, bringing over 25 years of coaching experience with him to Albany. Most recently, Michael Custer was with the Massachusetts Pirates of the IFL for the 2022 season coaching their Offensive and Defensive lines. Before his time in Massachusetts, Custer spent time with the IFL’s Iowa Barnstormers from 2017-2018 and the IFL’s Cedar Rapids Titans from 2013-2016. Custer is a native of Wheatfield, NY where he resides with his wife Frances.

Phil Menas

Scouting and Player Personnel

https://twitter.com/PhilMenas

Phil had the advantage of being around professional football at an early age. Starting as a teenager, he was a coaches’ assistant for Arena Football League’s Detroit Fury. Shortly after, having the same role with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League during a Grey Cup-winning season in 2004.

Working his way up the ladder from making copies and game day ball boy to earning his way into meetings and war rooms, and eventually, a part of future coaching staffs.

Taking time to pursue his education, Phil graduated from Central Michigan University.

Circling back to football, he coached on Oakland University’s coaching staff from 2015 to 2017 as Wide Receivers/Tight Ends Coach and Passing Game Coordinator. Under Head Coach Tom Menas, together they boasted a 23-1 record over two seasons and won an NCFA National Championship in the process.

Last season, Phil was the Assistant to the Director of Player Personnel for the National Arena League’s Champion, Albany Empire. He worked alongside Director of Player Personnel, Dave Mogenson, and Head Coach, Tom Menas in assisting with scouting and player personnel in a NAL Championship winning season.

Returning this season, he’s looking for the same goal in mind—to bring a championship team back to the capital region.

Phil enjoys spending his off-season living in St. Clair Shores, Michigan with his wife, Talia, and their daughter, Lilianna

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James Nelms

Equipment Manager and Quality Control

Paul Tonic Jr

Intern

Paul enters his first season with the Albany Empire after previously coaching at Hudson Valley Community College for two years. Paul served one year as the teams Running Backs coach before being promoted to Offensive Coordinator in his second season.

Coach Tonic received a Bachelors Degree from SUNY Buffalo State, where he was also a three-year student athlete for their football program.

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