On Nov. 24, the University of New Mexico announced the appointment of Fernando “Fern” Lovo as the next vice president and director of athletics starting Sunday, Dec. 1.
Lovo comes to UNM after serving as executive senior associate athletics director for operations at the University of Texas Austin. He has also worked for Ohio State University and in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
Lovo said he got his start as an equipment manager for the University of Florida’s football team.
“I developed a deep love and admiration for the impact college athletics has,” Lovo said.
UNM Athletics’s obligation is to help young athletes succeed, according to Lovo.
“Everything that we do is people first,” he said. “And more specifically, it’s student-athlete-centric.”
Going into the job, Lovo said he is inspired by the UNM football team’s November win against ranked Washington State University.
“We're winning games, and we're doing it the right way … with integrity, with vision, with passion and then with a sense of gratitude,” Lovo said. “I can't wait to get there, get boots on the ground.”
In deciding whether UNM was the best fit for him, Lovo said the University’s embrace of diversity was appealing.
“I’m a proud Hispanic American,” Lovo said. “I really value the diversity of thoughts and backgrounds and culture.”
Lovo will serve as UNM’s 14th athletic director and the fourth that the University has hired in the last 32 years, according to UNM Newsroom. He is already considering ways to improve the athletics operations for students and staff on campus, he said.
“We are the front porch of the institution, and that's a big honor and obligation that I take as the leader of the department,” Lovo said. “I'm going to place an importance on student engagement and getting them engaged and giving them some ownership in our program, so that when we compete — regardless of what sport it is — we have support from our student body.”
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Izabella Kubiak-Reseigh is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobocom or on X @kubiakizabella
