The 2023-24 season was disappointing for the New Mexico Lobos football team. It finished the season with a record of 4-8, ending on a 44-41 loss to Utah State. Shortly after that, the University of New Mexico decided to part ways with Head Coach Danny Gonzales.
Gonzales had an abysmal tenure with the Lobos. He had an 11-32 record over four seasons as head coach and was not once able to win more than four games in a season.
With the firing of Gonzales, the Lobos went on a coaching hunt and decided to hire former Brigham Young University and University of Virginia Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall. Mendenhall stepped away from coaching for two seasons after coaching six seasons with Virginia but is now back looking to improve his record.
Mendenhall has an impressive 135-81 record as a head coach. He signed a five-year $6 million contract, which equates to an annual $1.2 million, according to KRQE.
With the December announcement of Mendenhall’s hiring, his brand-new coaching and support staff was also announced. Thirteen out of the 14 hired staff members have had a connection to Mendenhall, serving time coaching alongside him or playing at BYU or UVA.
Big names from this staff include Offensive Coordinator Jason Beck, who served as an offensive intern at BYU in 2007 and quarterbacks coach from 2013-15. Another is Defensive Coordinator Nick Howell, who served as a defensive intern for BYU in 2007 and was promoted throughout the years, working his way up to defensive coordinator at BYU until 2015. He then departed from the program to follow Mendenhall to Virginia, continuing to serve as his defensive coordinator.
With a solid coaching staff set, success should follow with the team. There are two major keys to success for the Lobos this upcoming season, one of which will be the quarterback play. Last season, two Lobo quarterbacks got significant time: Dylan Hopkins and Devon Dampier.
Hopkins was the main starter on the team last season. With him gone, the question of who will start at quarterback remains. All signs point to Dampier: a shifty mobile quarterback going into his second season with the Lobos.
Last season, Dampier appeared in nine games, starting in one of them. He finished the season with 525 passing yards, six touchdowns, zero interceptions and a completion percentage of 62.5% through the air. On the ground, however, Dampier accumulated 328 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 59 attempts.
The other key to success for the Lobos will be good defensive play. Defensively, the Lobos were rough last season, allowing a whopping 35 points per game. Howell should be able to help the defense out a lot with his experience and accolades as defensive coordinator.
With a new head coach with winning ways, a brand new coaching staff with plenty of chemistry and an exciting quarterback prospect, the Lobos will be an interesting team to watch this upcoming season.
Rodney Prunty is a freelance sports reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @Rprunty05
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