New Mexico Football Report

"This was a season that began with a glimmer of hope, and that ended with a glimmer of hope for all the wrong reasons"  

Mike Locksley did not have the best interest of UNM or the state of New Mexico in mind. He accepted the head coaching job because UNM was foolish enough to offer it to him. Two wins (George Barlow, the interim had one) in three seasons won't win you respect and admiration. Not from the fan base and certainly not from sports writers. Mike Locksley was hired at UNM due to his name association with The Big Ten, Illinois, Ron Zook, Maryland etc. Left to his own merits and accomplishments he was an unattractive candidate, but when tied in to those "Big Time" brand names he suddenly became a hot commodity.

Bob Davie was hired to replace Locksley for the same reasons (Notre Dame, Texas A & M, ESPN) Only the passing of time will tell if we're being played for an all day sucker again. In college athletics name recognition means everything.  Which is why college football coaches are in such a quandary, they need the media to build them up, yet they despise the intrusive presence of reporters. Build me up buttercup, but if you tear me down, I'll rip you a new asshole. To head coaches (football in particular) sports writers are the unruly and disobedient step children that they're forced to tolerate. 

The worst thing a football player can do is think for himself, Tim Tebow be damned that's not how things are done. This is football!, nobody gets to think for themselves other than the head coach. It was that thinking that led Brian Kelly (Notre Dame) to go against all conventional wisdom and continue with an outdoor practice during high winds. That obstinate decision directly resulted in the death of a young man videotaping from an elevated platform. In many ways that's also the mindset that allowed Jerry Sandusky to keep company with young boys and for Joe Paterno to sidestep the vile allegations made against his longtime assistant coach.  

There is something wrong with football coaches in this country. Mike Locksley is indicative of the thought process that affects (or infects) the football coaching process at every level. Coaches like Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Mike Gundy, Chip Miller etc. labor under the assumption that they are mandated or anointed by a higher power. These are men who imagine themselves at the head of an army, and conduct themselves like three star generals. Though, it's a given that not one of them has ever served in the military.

American football is a sport unlike any other in the entire world. One that was pushed and promoted as a rite of passage for young boys entering manhood. It is now ruled by men who's primary motivation is to quench their thirst for power, control or worse.

Something tells me that Bob Davie holds UNM, New Mexico and his players in higher regard than Mike Locksley did. For that reason alone, he's a good hire for UNM. Davie has already brought two coaches onboard, Jason Lenzmeier an offensive line coach from NMSU (a position he held at UNM under Rocky Long) and Coleman Hutzler a former Florida & Stanford assistant hired to coach linebackers. George Barlow will not be retained in any capacity by Bob Davie. Mike Locksley meanwhile has landed on his feet, having been named offensive coordinator at Maryland.

It also appears that Locksley's recruits were on their way out the door as soon as he was fired. Seven players left the program before Davie was hired. Qb. Ricardo Young, safety Carmeiris Stewart (a Rocky Long holdover) and WR Emmanuel McPhearson, quit the squad immediately after Locksley was fired. Four other players left the team after George Barlow took over, including former starting Qb. Tarean Austin (who played in at least one game after Locksley left) free safety Deshon Marman (he of the sagging pants incident) O-lineman Earl Johnson and WR/Qb. Detchauz Wray. KRQE later reported that that three Lobo freshmen, Rb. Crusoe Gongbay, WR Daniel Adams and safety Zach Dancel had requested releases from their scholarships.

Had The Lobos found a way to pull out a victory against Colorado St. in the season opener, this post would have taken a much different tone. The entire season truly turned on that, the very first game. 

That loss was the start of an avalanche of doubt, dissent and disgust that buried Mike Locksley. We now move forward with caution. UNM and the state of New Mexico can't afford to get sucked into the mad scramble that's consuming college football. For UNM to pour millions into football in hopes of earning a bid to a lower tier bowl game is absurd. The BSC by a process of exclusion, has already determined who we are and where we belong.