Western New Mexico University's Head Football Coach
Philip Vigil has announced his last member of the Mustang coaching staff, naming
Jerry Dominguez as the Special Teams Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach
"We are very fortunate to have Coach Dominguez on the staff. He has been a defensive coordinator for 20+ years at two of the best junior colleges in the country," said Vigil. "He brings a wealth of experience to our secondary and special teams. He will be a phenomenal addition to the staff."
Dominguez has spent the last two years at Garden City Community College as the Defensive Coordinator under Head Coach Tom Minnick. Previously, Dominguez spent 14 years under Minnick's leadership at Arizona Western College as the Defensive Coordinator, making the matadors one of the most terrorizing defenses in the NJCAA.
During Dominguez's two years at GCC, the Broncbuster's defense had three shutouts, two of which were in the 2021 spring season.
Dominguez led some of the nation's top defensive units during his time in Yuma, AZ. The defense helped the Matadors reach the National Championship game in 2011, 2016, and 2017. In 2017, AWC was 8th in the country in points per game allowed (18.4), second in fewest touchdowns allowed (9), and third in interceptions (21). In 2016, the Matadors were ranked second in yards per game allowed (166.5), and points allowed (9.4), all while forcing 45 takeaways and scoring seven defensive touchdowns.
In the 2009-11 seasons, AWC and Dominguez's defenses were some of the best in the WSFL and were as high as the 4th in the nation, and allowing less than 200 yards per game. At AWC, he coached in 10 consecutive bowl games from 2009-18.
During his tenure at AWC, Dominguez coached 143 All-Americans and had three NJCAA Players of the Year. In the 14 years, he was with the Matadors, they had 14 shutouts; 13 of which were under his tutelage as a defensive coordinator. In those 14 years, more than 60 players coached by Dominguez went on to play at the Division I level.
He has a niche of finding extraordinary talent and developing them into elite defensive stars. Korey Toomer (Idaho) and Jesse Williams (Alabama) both won Super Bowls with the Seattle Seahawks, Williams was fortunate enough to have also won a national championship with Alabama. Randy Gregory was Dominguez's highest draft pick in the NFL, being selected in the second round in 2015, and in 2014, Maurice Alexander was selected in the fourth round by the Rams.
Other players that were signed to NFL teams include: All-PAC 12 and Arizona State defensive lineman Luis Vasquez (Ravens), Arizona State's Chris Young (Jets), Kansas's Cassius Sendish (Browns), University of Idaho's Jeromy Jones (Rams), Portland State's Myles Wade (Buccaneers), Hawaii's Zach Masch (Seahawks), Arizona's Paul Magloire (Buccaneers), and Tennessee's Jonathan Kongbo (49ers).
Before joining the Matadors staff, Dominguez spent six years as a Defensive Coordinator at D-II Northern State University, in Aberdeen, SD, coaching in his first bowl game in 2004. His coaching career began at his alma mater, Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS, as the secondary coach and special teams' coordinator in 1997.
He is married to his wife Rigel. He has three daughters, Maisey, Melaya, and Lenora, and a son Jazz. In the little spare time Coach Dominguez has, he enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and keying into the Discovery and History Channel.
