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What he said... The UNM regents' heads are inserted so far all they can see is brown.
65 year sweetheart deals for condo developers, hugely expanded upper administration
staffing, exorbitant upper admin salaries, crashing science departments.... and in their
view, everything is just peachy...
Nobody is saying there isn't waste at UNM. (Well, I'm not anyway.) Unfortunately, just because there is waste there doesn't mean that when cuts are made they will focus on trimming away that waste.
I can't speak for the attitudes of the top level university administrators at the moment, but I personally know individuals, mid-level management on down, who are scrambling to come up with proposals for budget cuts.
(Sorry if this is taking the thread further OT, but it's hard to talk about UNM football without talking about Locksley, and it's hard to talk about Locksley without talking about money.)
Coaching. It was a horrible hire. An offensive coordinator from a mediocre football school (Illinois) that had one winning season while he was there. He has not head coaching ability. In the long run, a buyout would be much cheaper than the loss of revenue from declining attendance. Five years ago, we averaged 36K. Last year we were at 26K. This year we are at 24K and it will decline even more as we lose this year. A conservative guess is a loss of $30 per person based on ticket cost plus concessions and T-shirts and the such. Each 1K is a reduction of 30K per game. We are averaging 2K less so if we stay at that (highly unlikely) we will still have lost at least $360K in revenue this year. It will be even more next year. It will cost more to buy out his contract than to continue to lose this money over the length of his contract (four more years).
UNM is shedding tenure track appointments like a Great Pyrenees. My department cut Assistantships by 40% in the last 6 years. Interest in graduate programs has dropped like a rock due to this. Most grad students don't want to shell out nearly 6 grand a year only to have to work the midnight shift at Denny's to make ends meet.
This means that UNM is becoming a bottom heavy B.A. mill with a commensurate drop in funding. At least all of those freshmen in college writing classes with 35 students get a discount to go to Lobo games where they can watch an analogue of their college experience play out on the gridiron.
And just for the record, I am not explicitly against athletics, just wasting money.
What I don't understand is what actually is going on at the practices for a team to be this bad. You never hear any reporting about whether Locksley is busting his tail there hands-on, drilling the coaches and players to get better. Is he working hard or coasting on a funk of his own ineptness?
Gosh, I have been so caught up in my studies at UNM in between watching the wonderful world of college football that I haven't posted here in a while. Here's my take on this... of course, this and a buck fifty will buy you a cup of coffee...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoidberg
In case you haven't been following UNM sports (and I usually don't), here's how our illustrious lobos have fared so far this season:
I don't see what the problem is, Zoid. Looks like we are on track for a perfect season so far.
Now, for reals...
The problem with the football team is that it has never been a winner, nor has it ever wanted to be a winner as long as I have been alive. That's pretty sad since I am near 40. The ONLY time I can remember where we had a kick-arse season is in 1982 when we went 10-1 under Joe Morrison and the only loss was to BYU. Of course, they fired Morrison and we have never been that good ever since.
I know of student-athletes on the football team at UNM who tell me they do not have any respect for coach Locksley at all. The only reason why they still play is they have a scholarship and need to continue playing in order to graduate. As a matter of fact, I just spoke with a buddy of mine who played high school football here in Burque with a great team. He had a friend that was one of the best defensive ends in the state that was on the team with him. Did UNM recruit him? NOPE! They didn't even want to pay for his books much less offer him a scholarship at UNM. Why? Who the hell knows? So, he didn't play for UNM and still got his law degree where he makes bank. UNM's loss, not his.
It's sad for UNM especially when we get our heads handed to us by the ultimate perrenial loser of college fooseball - er, football. That's right, UNM has officially sank lower than.... <gasp!> New Mexico State!
Don't know about you, but I cannot wait to stand in line for my season ticket with Locksley at the helm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoidberg
The lobos were the latter number in each case. Our team is improving; now they are only losing games by five touchdowns instead of 10. And they've been playing pretty good teams. Still, these numbers passed embarrassing two games ago.
Could this merely be bad coaching, or a slashed budget? Are they feeding the players play-doh? Do their uniforms include cowboy boots, eye patches and pith helmets? Is Louie the Lobo (the mascot) sick and in the hospital, so all players are dressed in mascot clothing as a form of solidarity?
It's been discussed that the UNM coach would have been fired long ago except he gets super-rich (at the school's expense) if his contract gets ended early. What I would like to know is what genius agreed to that sort of contract (the kind that rewards poor performance) on the UNM side of the table.
Coach McKay, er, Locksley, should have never been hired in the first place.
If I were in charge of UNM athletics (and thank God I am not), I'd follow the Boise State model of college football recruiting. Here is a state with a population less than ours that is ranked number THREE in all of college footballdom. How does a no-name university in a no-name state manage to get a number three ranking as well as being an annual monkey wrench for the BCS for the last 5 or so years? Well, they RECRUIT TALENT!
Wow, what a concept! They take good players from CA, WA, TX, FL, OH, AZ, CO, PA, etc. and make them into GREAT players. Why would anyone want to go to USC for 4-5 years and never play a down, when they can come to Boise State and be 1st string with a chance of a national title? Boise State is in the WAC (as was UNM) and they will be in the MWC (as is UNM) next year, folks. These guys are the real deal. Same with Utah, which was number 2 at the end of the year a few years ago. That's BIG!
If UNM wants to run with the big boys of college football, they need to take their heads out of their collective arses and find an athletic director who wants to win who will find a coach who wants to win who will recruit good players who want to win.
If UNM does not want to do this, they may want to save themselves the task of getting humiliated year after year by moving to another football division. I don't for the life of me see anything wrong with moving down a notch or two in the NCAA format. I'd rather field a competitive team in Division I-AA or even Division II than to watch the Lobos get beat by New Mexico State every year.
But, as I have said earlier in my posts, the fatalist and defeatist mentality of New Mexico rears its head yet once again. That's the type of people who run not only this state, but UNM as well.
"It's okay to be 0-12 mijo. We're just New Mexico."
Gosh, I have been so caught up in my studies at UNM in between watching the wonderful world of college football that I haven't posted here in a while. Here's my take on this... of course, this and a buck fifty will buy you a cup of coffee...
I don't see what the problem is, Zoid. Looks like we are on track for a perfect season so far.
Now, for reals...
The problem with the football team is that it has never been a winner, nor has it ever wanted to be a winner as long as I have been alive. That's pretty sad since I am near 40. The ONLY time I can remember where we had a kick-arse season is in 1982 when we went 10-1 under Joe Morrison and the only loss was to BYU. Of course, they fired Morrison and we have never been that good ever since.
I know of student-athletes on the football team at UNM who tell me they do not have any respect for coach Locksley at all. The only reason why they still play is they have a scholarship and need to continue playing in order to graduate. As a matter of fact, I just spoke with a buddy of mine who played high school football here in Burque with a great team. He had a friend that was one of the best defensive ends in the state that was on the team with him. Did UNM recruit him? NOPE! They didn't even want to pay for his books much less offer him a scholarship at UNM. Why? Who the hell knows? So, he didn't play for UNM and still got his law degree where he makes bank. UNM's loss, not his.
It's sad for UNM especially when we get our heads handed to us by the ultimate perrenial loser of college fooseball - er, football. That's right, UNM has officially sank lower than.... <gasp!> New Mexico State!
Don't know about you, but I cannot wait to stand in line for my season ticket with Locksley at the helm.
Coach McKay, er, Locksley, should have never been hired in the first place.
If I were in charge of UNM athletics (and thank God I am not), I'd follow the Boise State model of college football recruiting. Here is a state with a population less than ours that is ranked number THREE in all of college footballdom. How does a no-name university in a no-name state manage to get a number three ranking as well as being an annual monkey wrench for the BCS for the last 5 or so years? Well, they RECRUIT TALENT!
Wow, what a concept! They take good players from CA, WA, TX, FL, OH, AZ, CO, PA, etc. and make them into GREAT players. Why would anyone want to go to USC for 4-5 years and never play a down, when they can come to Boise State and be 1st string with a chance of a national title? Boise State is in the WAC (as was UNM) and they will be in the MWC (as is UNM) next year, folks. These guys are the real deal. Same with Utah, which was number 2 at the end of the year a few years ago. That's BIG!
If UNM wants to run with the big boys of college football, they need to take their heads out of their collective arses and find an athletic director who wants to win who will find a coach who wants to win who will recruit good players who want to win.
If UNM does not want to do this, they may want to save themselves the task of getting humiliated year after year by moving to another football division. I don't for the life of me see anything wrong with moving down a notch or two in the NCAA format. I'd rather field a competitive team in Division I-AA or even Division II than to watch the Lobos get beat by New Mexico State every year.
But, as I have said earlier in my posts, the fatalist and defeatist mentality of New Mexico rears its head yet once again. That's the type of people who run not only this state, but UNM as well.
"It's okay to be 0-12 mijo. We're just New Mexico."
Morrisson was not fired, he left for South Carolina. And Rocky took the Lobos to five bowl games, so it's not like nothing has happened except for the 10-1 year. It comes down to coaching. Boise St. hired a good coach who could mold players. They won. When you're winning, you can recruit better players. Actually, Locksley has recruited some very good players. He just can't coach them.
And UNM can't move down in FB or else they will have to leave the MWC. All schools in the conference have to compete in men's and women's basketball and football to be members.
I also don't agree with you're "We're just New Mexico" thing as well as your dig at the AD. Alford says "We Are New Mexico" and the whole athletic department has that attitude. Krebs has made some excellent hired including Alford, Birmingham in baseball and Nelson in volleyball. Hiring is an tough thing to do. Take it from someone who did it for 20 years.
While I am disgusted with the state of the program right now I am not putting it on the administrators. However, it is their job to now find another coach. This guy just can't handle it.
Gosh, I have been so caught up in my studies at UNM in between watching the wonderful world of college football that I haven't posted here in a while. Here's my take on this... of course, this and a buck fifty will buy you a cup of coffee...
I don't see what the problem is, Zoid. Looks like we are on track for a perfect season so far.
Now, for reals...
The problem with the football team is that it has never been a winner, nor has it ever wanted to be a winner as long as I have been alive. That's pretty sad since I am near 40. The ONLY time I can remember where we had a kick-arse season is in 1982 when we went 10-1 under Joe Morrison and the only loss was to BYU. Of course, they fired Morrison and we have never been that good ever since.
I know of student-athletes on the football team at UNM who tell me they do not have any respect for coach Locksley at all. The only reason why they still play is they have a scholarship and need to continue playing in order to graduate. As a matter of fact, I just spoke with a buddy of mine who played high school football here in Burque with a great team. He had a friend that was one of the best defensive ends in the state that was on the team with him. Did UNM recruit him? NOPE! They didn't even want to pay for his books much less offer him a scholarship at UNM. Why? Who the hell knows? So, he didn't play for UNM and still got his law degree where he makes bank. UNM's loss, not his.
It's sad for UNM especially when we get our heads handed to us by the ultimate perrenial loser of college fooseball - er, football. That's right, UNM has officially sank lower than.... <gasp!> New Mexico State!
Don't know about you, but I cannot wait to stand in line for my season ticket with Locksley at the helm.
Coach McKay, er, Locksley, should have never been hired in the first place.
If I were in charge of UNM athletics (and thank God I am not), I'd follow the Boise State model of college football recruiting. Here is a state with a population less than ours that is ranked number THREE in all of college footballdom. How does a no-name university in a no-name state manage to get a number three ranking as well as being an annual monkey wrench for the BCS for the last 5 or so years? Well, they RECRUIT TALENT!
Wow, what a concept! They take good players from CA, WA, TX, FL, OH, AZ, CO, PA, etc. and make them into GREAT players. Why would anyone want to go to USC for 4-5 years and never play a down, when they can come to Boise State and be 1st string with a chance of a national title? Boise State is in the WAC (as was UNM) and they will be in the MWC (as is UNM) next year, folks. These guys are the real deal. Same with Utah, which was number 2 at the end of the year a few years ago. That's BIG!
If UNM wants to run with the big boys of college football, they need to take their heads out of their collective arses and find an athletic director who wants to win who will find a coach who wants to win who will recruit good players who want to win.
If UNM does not want to do this, they may want to save themselves the task of getting humiliated year after year by moving to another football division. I don't for the life of me see anything wrong with moving down a notch or two in the NCAA format. I'd rather field a competitive team in Division I-AA or even Division II than to watch the Lobos get beat by New Mexico State every year.
But, as I have said earlier in my posts, the fatalist and defeatist mentality of New Mexico rears its head yet once again. That's the type of people who run not only this state, but UNM as well.
"It's okay to be 0-12 mijo. We're just New Mexico."
I don't think UNM would be wise to follow the BSU model. BSU has its priorities misplaced. BSU is a regional university with a poor academic record, barely beyond junior college level, with a good football program. UNM is a national Tier II university, research extensive, with a crummy football team. If a university's role is to educate, I think UNM stands far ahead of BSU. A winning football team is fun, and can bring in some money, but education is more important. Most non-BCS schools lose money on their football programs.
Gosh, I have been so caught up in my studies at UNM in between watching the wonderful world of college football that I haven't posted here in a while. Here's my take on this... of course, this and a buck fifty will buy you a cup of coffee...
I don't see what the problem is, Zoid. Looks like we are on track for a perfect season so far.
Now, for reals...
The problem with the football team is that it has never been a winner, nor has it ever wanted to be a winner as long as I have been alive. That's pretty sad since I am near 40. The ONLY time I can remember where we had a kick-arse season is in 1982 when we went 10-1 under Joe Morrison and the only loss was to BYU. Of course, they fired Morrison and we have never been that good ever since.
I know of student-athletes on the football team at UNM who tell me they do not have any respect for coach Locksley at all. The only reason why they still play is they have a scholarship and need to continue playing in order to graduate. As a matter of fact, I just spoke with a buddy of mine who played high school football here in Burque with a great team. He had a friend that was one of the best defensive ends in the state that was on the team with him. Did UNM recruit him? NOPE! They didn't even want to pay for his books much less offer him a scholarship at UNM. Why? Who the hell knows? So, he didn't play for UNM and still got his law degree where he makes bank. UNM's loss, not his.
It's sad for UNM especially when we get our heads handed to us by the ultimate perrenial loser of college fooseball - er, football. That's right, UNM has officially sank lower than.... <gasp!> New Mexico State!
Don't know about you, but I cannot wait to stand in line for my season ticket with Locksley at the helm.
Coach McKay, er, Locksley, should have never been hired in the first place.
If I were in charge of UNM athletics (and thank God I am not), I'd follow the Boise State model of college football recruiting. Here is a state with a population less than ours that is ranked number THREE in all of college footballdom. How does a no-name university in a no-name state manage to get a number three ranking as well as being an annual monkey wrench for the BCS for the last 5 or so years? Well, they RECRUIT TALENT!
Wow, what a concept! They take good players from CA, WA, TX, FL, OH, AZ, CO, PA, etc. and make them into GREAT players. Why would anyone want to go to USC for 4-5 years and never play a down, when they can come to Boise State and be 1st string with a chance of a national title? Boise State is in the WAC (as was UNM) and they will be in the MWC (as is UNM) next year, folks. These guys are the real deal. Same with Utah, which was number 2 at the end of the year a few years ago. That's BIG!
If UNM wants to run with the big boys of college football, they need to take their heads out of their collective arses and find an athletic director who wants to win who will find a coach who wants to win who will recruit good players who want to win.
If UNM does not want to do this, they may want to save themselves the task of getting humiliated year after year by moving to another football division. I don't for the life of me see anything wrong with moving down a notch or two in the NCAA format. I'd rather field a competitive team in Division I-AA or even Division II than to watch the Lobos get beat by New Mexico State every year.
But, as I have said earlier in my posts, the fatalist and defeatist mentality of New Mexico rears its head yet once again. That's the type of people who run not only this state, but UNM as well.
"It's okay to be 0-12 mijo. We're just New Mexico."
I had to create a account just to reply to this rambling. UNM athletics actually just had thier best year EVER people. They got 47th in the country in overall sports, which does not sound amazing, it is pretty good. We would have finished 7th in the big 12 in that regard, and we were only three places behind tech and seven behind TCU. Athletics are not 100% about football and in almost all sports the AD has made very good hires. Many of the sports are in the top 25 in their sports which include: cross country, Basketball, Skiing, soccer off the top of my head.
The football team has had some problems, but Rocky did get us to five straight bowls and six straight winning seasons only THREE years ago.
We cant and NEVER should move down to division II. This is a school with 30000+ people, we should have no problem at least competing with most schools. Not to mention why would we with so many sports doing so well in Division 1? Plus I can only see that hurting our attendance so thier goes our money as well.
I agree that if Boise state can be good then anyone can, but it is not that easy. It takes time, Locks actually had the best recruiting class in Lobo history this year, If they stay when he is fired soon the Lobos should be on the upswing.
Its funny, that "fatalist and defeatist mentality" you spoke of, Kind of sounds like you :-).
I have full faith in the AD to make a good hire after they fire Locks, Leach has said he loves the school and the state, he is not as far fetched as people will make you believe!
As for the team itself, I don't see them ever getting better. It's a small state to begin with, so recruiting prospects are limited. And anyone who's any good is going to play for one of the surrounding programs. Why would you stay here and go 0-12 if you could go play for Texas or USC?
While there is some truth to your statement, there are instances where this is false. Take Boise State, they have fewer people in the state of Idaho, yet they have managed to build a top tier program. Boise has built a large fanbase who are dedicated to the program. The sheer investment by the community is incredible, as such the university has responded by investing heavily in the program as well. They also have an amazing coach who knows how to get the absolute best performance out of each player. UNM fans love to complain, yet no one here supports football the way fans in Idaho do. Our basketball program faces the same challenges as football, yet the facilities for basketball are top notch, as is the coaching staff, and the community has always supported basketball. If people here came to the realization that we are too small for the NFL, and started supporting football the same as basketball we could build a solid program. We were heading in the right direction with Rocky Long's leadership, but hiring Locksley reversed all that. I do believe we needed a new coach, but I wish we had hired someone better than Coach Locksley.
I also agree with many of the other posters, Krebs has done a great job since coming here, Locksley is the one mistake. We all make mistakes in our given professions, so hopefully he'll learn from this mistake and make better choice next time around.
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Lowblows...
NOPE! They didn't even want to pay for his books much less offer him a scholarship at UNM. 
Who the hell knows? So, he didn't play for UNM and still got his law degree where he makes bank. UNM's loss, not his.
They take good players from CA, WA, TX, FL, OH, AZ, CO, PA, etc. and make them into GREAT players. Why would anyone want to go to USC for 4-5 years and never play a down, when they can come to Boise State and be 1st string with a chance of a national title? Boise State is in the WAC (as was UNM) and they will be in the MWC (as is UNM) next year, folks. These guys are the real deal. Same with Utah, which was number 2 at the end of the year a few years ago. That's BIG!
