MOSCOW, Idaho -- University of Idaho offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Steve Axman is retiring.

Axman announced his retirement Monday after a nearly 40-year coaching career. He says he's almost 65 and he and his wife are closing in on their retirement goals.

Axman's first coaching job was at MacArthur High School in his native New York in 1973. His collegiate coaching career included stops at East Stroudsburg State, Army, Illinois, Arizona, Stanford, UCLA, Maryland, Northern Arizona, Minnesota, Washington and Montana.

He spent the 1985 season with the Denver Gold of the USFL.

Axman coached Troy Aikman at UCLA and was the head coach at Northern Arizona from 1990-97. He was quarterbacks coach at Montana in 2006 before taking the Idaho job in 2007.

He has written a dozen books on offensive football.