Mike Bradbury is now ready for the 2016-2017 campaign, as far as his coaching staff goes.
This week, the newest head coach at UNM said it feels good to have his staff in order and anticipates good things to come from his group.
This week, Bradbury announced that the Lobos will retain Vera Jo Bustos, a native New Mexican, as the head operations director. This week Bradbury inked his third assistant coach, Aarika Hughes.
“It’s been tough here the past three or four weeks,” Bradbury said. “Everybody should be here now by the end of the week.”
Hughes will now venture to the other side of the Rio Grande Rivalry. She joins the New Mexico staff after spending five seasons on NMSU’s staff.
“She was a very good player, played at a really high level as well as been an integral part of New Mexico State,” Bradbury said. “I think her work with our wing players and our post players are going to be valuable.”
The newest and final of Bradbury’s three assistant coaches said the move will surely make her aspirations of becoming a head coach.
“I think the program, here, the history at the University of New Mexico, has been awesome,” Hughes said. “It’s a great opportunity for me to move up in a career and eventually be a head coach.
While excited to get started under Bradbury, Hughes said she also knows all about the Lobo-Aggie rivalry.
“I understand and respect the rivalry,” Hughes said. “But people out here have welcomed me with open arms and people in Las Cruces have been awesome.”
While Bradbury has his coaching staff slots filled, he still has the opportunity to fill two roster spots and full scholarships to give. The coach said he will be going on a big recruiting trip this upcoming weekend, but said he is not willing to just give those scholarships away.
Bradbury said that Hughes brings a lot of recruitment possibilities in the western region.
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“I think she’s a young, dynamic coach,” Bradbury said. “She has Texas ties and west coast ties, having played in southern California. She brings a lot of recruitment.”
“It’s nice to have everybody here and be fully staffed,” the head coach said.
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
