Correction: An initial version of this story had Mike Reisbig’s coaching career starting at Long Beach City College, which was incorrect. The initial version of the story did not clarify between Mike Reisbig and Larry Reisbig. Mike Reisbig first coached at Pasadena City College in 1982 until 1987. He became the head coach for St. Anthony High School in 1988 and then the head coach for Aquinas High School from 1989 to 1991 before joining LBCC’s coaching staff part-time in 1992. A quote was added from Mike Reisbig that reflected on his time at Aquinas and his decision to leave. Mike Reisbig went onto become a full-time coach at LBCC after he got his masters degree from Azusa College in 1988.
Former LBCC head coach and long-time LBCC offensive line coach Mike Reisbig has retired after 32 years with the program.
“I loved my time here. This is a good institution. I’ve worked with a lot of excellent coaches and I’ve been blessed to coach a lot of outstanding football players,” Mike Reisbig stated. “I’m also glad that it’s coming to an end. I’m looking forward to spending time with my family and I’m looking forward to going to other games. I’m a huge fan of college sports, I’m very fortunate my wife likes it, so we’re gonna be able to go and do things together.”
Mike Reisbig first became part of the coaching staff in 1992 when his dad, the late Larry Reisbig, brought him on the coaching staff as the new offensive line coach.
Three years later, the Larry Reisbig-led LBCC team struck gold as they won the National Championship in 1995.
LBCC assistant coach Neo Aoga, who was also the quarterback for LBCC in its 1995 championship season, chimed in on what Mike Reisbig has meant to him and the impact he’s made on his life.
“He’s been a mentor of trying to get through things with how to coach, how to take care of classes and helping the kids out. But he’s also become one of my best friends, a big brother that I’ve never had. So that’s how much he means to me,” Aoga said.
Mike Reisbig played wide receiver at College of the Canyons, and with him being raised in a football household and being a struggling student at the time, he said football seemed like “the natural thing to do.”
With his dad also being the coach at Canyons, that made the decision easier for him to play football there.
As he finished at Canyons in 1979, Mike Reisbig accepted an offensive line coaching job by his father at Pasadena City College in 1982, originally thinking he would coach wide receivers, but instead got the offensive line coaching position.
“I said ‘I don’t know anything about the offensive line, I’ve got no clue.’ And (Larry) said ‘You’ll be taught. If you can learn how to coach the offensive line, you’ll have a job forever’ because no one wants to coach the offensive line,” Mike Reisbig said.
Mike Reisbig ended his coaching stint at PCC in 1987 and then became the sports dean and athletic director at St. Anthony High School the year after.
While having these positions, he also wanted to be the offensive line coach, but as the St. Anthony coach quit right before the season started, Mike Reisbig filled in as the head coach.
After his coaching career at St. Anthony, he went on to become the head coach of Aquinas High School in San Bernadino from 1989 to 1991.
Mike Reisbig made the decision to coach there as it was closer to his home in Corona and that “the grass would be greener on the other side.”
According to him, it wasn’t the right fit and he ended up rejoining his dad’s coaching staff in 1992, this time at Long Beach City College.
“I didn’t do very well there. It wasn’t the right fit, not a lot of money, and it ended up being a one man band, and that was very tough,” Mike Reisbig said in regards to Aquinas.
Mike Reisbig was nervous going into his first year as the new offensive line coach for LBCC, but he became a staple in LBCC’s coaching staff with the help of the coaches around him and with the knowledge he gained.
Mike Reisbig then became a full-time coach at LBCC instead of part-time after he got his masters degree from Azusa College in 1998.
During the 2008 season, Mike Reisbig became the head coach for LBCC and kept his position for five years.
His biggest accomplishment was leading LBCC to a Central West Conference Championship in 2011 and reached the Central West Bowl game that same year against Golden West College, which ended up in a high-scoring 51-36 loss.
In 2013, he resigned from his position as head coach, paving the way for Brett Peabody to take over the team.
Mike Reisbig then returned to being the offensive line coach the same year with LBCC.
Throughout his 32-year tenure, Mike Reisbig has made countless impacts for LBCC football and its players, and according to Peabody, he has also meant a lot to the kinesiology department.
“He’s been a critical asset to the kinesiology department and to the football program. He’s one of the reasons why I’m personally here,” Peabody said. “He’s a remarkable man, incredibly loyal, he did a great job coaching the offensive line under me since I’ve been here and he’s gonna be sorely missed.”
As Mike Reisbig’s coaching career ends, he mentioned how much he’s loved his time at LBCC and the people he’s met over the years.
“I want to thank the administration at this school from the people that hired me to the people that are here now and all of the students and student-athletes,” Reisbig said. “I’ve made a lot of friends, there are a lot of good people here, and I’m going to miss them.”