Marcia S. Zierlein

Marcia Zierlein, born November 21, 1945, to Carl and Mildred Stephens, was raised on a farm near Menlo, Kansas. Farm life taught her discipline, grit, and a work ethic that stayed with her for the rest of her life. That steady resolve showed up in everything she did: raising her children, working her job, supporting her husband’s coaching career, and eventually helping build the Lone Star Coaching Clinic into what it became.

Marcia graduated from Menlo High School in 1963 in a class of just nine students. She went on to attend Kansas State University and Colby Community College before completing her business degree at Fort Hays State University. It was there that she met the love of her life, Larry. They married and built a life defined by faith, family, and the unique rhythm of “the coaching life.”

Together, Marcia and Larry raised three children – Lance, Mike, and Nicci – and in 1972 began a journey that would take them across the country. Their first stop was Abernathy, Texas, where Marcia began working as an assistant in the junior high library. Within a year, she was promoted to Director of Federal Programs for the school district, quickly proving that she could thrive in any environment and master any challenge placed in front of her.

In 1975, the family moved to Richmond/Rosenberg, Texas, and the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District. After working as a secretary in the superintendent’s office, Marcia was asked to start an office duplicating class – despite having no background in the field. She taught herself the work, mastered it, and led students who produced graphics used throughout the school. Again and again, Marcia became the person others depended on because she was capable, calm under pressure, and unwilling to do anything halfway.

A move in 1988 brought the family to New Orleans, where Marcia began working at Tulane Law School. Though she started at the bottom rung, she was soon promoted to Director of Continuing Education. When Larry accepted a position at LSU in Baton Rouge in 1993, Marcia continued her role at Tulane commuting a 150-mile road-trip drive for two years. It was a sacrifice she made without complaint, simply because it needed to be done and she always did what needed to be done.

In 1997, the family moved again, this time to Cincinnati, Ohio, where Marcia worked in Human Resources at Citibank. As she had everywhere else, she quickly earned greater responsibility through consistent excellence. Marcia’s career was a reflection of who she was: dependable, sharp, humble, and indispensable.

Marcia was also an exceptional cook and took great joy in feeding the people she loved. She remembered everyone’s favorite meals including her children, their friends, and the many players who passed through their home. Each child had a favorite birthday treat: Lance – German Chocolate Cake; Mike – Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake; and Nicci – Pot roast, potatoes and homemade biscuits. Food was one of her love languages, and she used it to make people feel cared for and at home.

One of her greatest joys was feeding Larry’s offensive linemen. She prepared Sunday afternoon meals for college players during meetings and breakfasts during the week. When NFL players came through, they too were treated like family. Her specialties became legendary: BBQ chicken, potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, and her famous apple cake that the players rave about to this day.

Marcia’s dedication to football wasn’t limited to the kitchen. In both college and the NFL, she watched game tape and helped grade players after games, keeping running totals throughout the season. She understood the game, respected the work, and took pride in doing her part behind the scenes. She was more than a coach’s wife, she was part of the coaching unit.

In 1997, Larry and a partner started the Lone Star Coaching Clinic, providing football education for coaches across Texas and beyond. Marcia became the Director of Operations and poured herself into the clinic for 29 years. She was the engine behind the scenes. She was the organizer, the problem-solver and the steady hand. Her role was so vital that when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2025, the decision was made to pause the clinic, simply because it could not be done without her.

Today, a new group has taken over the clinic and will honor her legacy by presenting the Marcia Zierlein Coach of the Year Award, ensuring her name remains tied to the coaching community she helped serve for decades.

After moving to New Braunfels in 2010, Marcia regularly attended Oakwood Baptist Church and enjoyed Bible study and fellowship. She loved life in New Braunfels and continued doing what she always did, watching sports, finding new recipes, and caring for her family and grandchildren in every way she could.

Marcia was a model of what a mother and parent should be. She showed her children love, taught them lessons they would take with them into their lives, and provided safe harbour from any anxiety or stress that may have been present for Larry and Marcia as parents.

She welcomed her children’s friends into her home and treated them as one of her own. She would teach, coach little league, come home and make dinner, wash clothes, clean the house and make sure the kid’s homework was finished – all while supporting Larry in every way she could. She allowed her children to be children and then shepherded them into strong young adults.

Marcia Zierlein lived a life of quiet strength, unwavering loyalty, and selfless devotion. She was the steadying influence that quietly held her family together through every move, every season and every chapter. She served others constantly and never asked for credit. She will be remembered for her work ethic, her faith, her warmth, her humor, and the way she made everyone around her feel supported and loved.

She is survived by her loving husband, Larry; her children, Lance (Nicole), Mike (Lisa), and Nicci (Loren); and her grandchildren, Drake, Alec, Mason, Sebastian, Marianna, Max, Ellie, Jake, and Candace and her siblings, Dee, Chuck and Kent.