Former UH coach Tony Levine stepping away from football

Former University of Houston coach Tony Levine is leaving the profession to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests.

Levine, 45, spent the past season working with special teams, tight ends and as co-offensive coordinator at Purdue.

"It's been a privilege and an honor to be a coach for the past 22 years," Levine wrote on Twitter Saturday. "I will always cherish the friendships and relationships, and the memories we've made will last a lifetime."

Levine said he plans to move back to Houston and spend more time with his wife and four children, which range in ages from 6 to 12 years old.

"I feel that this is the right time for me to step away from coaching in order to make my family my priority," Levine said.

Levine went 21-17 in three full seasons at UH from 2012-2014.