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Vanessa Sanchez
Daily Lobo

George Barlow strolls down the sidelines on Tuesday at the Lobos’ Indoor Practice Facility. Barlow, UNM’s interim head coach, will wear the headset in place of Mike Locksley during Saturday’s home game against UNLV. Locksley is serving part of his 10-day suspension as a result of his altercation with assistant coach J.B. Gerald.

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Stand-in coach sustains Locksley's lead

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By Mario Trujillo | New Mexico Daily Lobo
Last updated: 10/20/09 10:52pm

The Lobo ship seems to be guiding itself with interim head football coach George Barlow at the helm.

Take a little public relations skills and throw in a travel agent — the result is a 10-day temporary replacement coach.

“Really what you are doing is seeing over — for lack of a better word — day-to-day operations of the program,” Barlow said. “The coordinators kind of take care of all the inner workings. But all the outside stuff, the media and setting up travel plans — you have to oversee all of the little things.”

Head coach Mike Locksley tabbed Barlow as assistant head coach when he hired him. So it’s only fitting that Barlow guide the Lobos to bay while Locksley serves his suspension because of an altercation with assistant coach J.B Gerald.

With Locksley out and Gerald on paid administrative leave, the players are down two coaches. Still, it’s been business as usual. The leader of the offensive, quarterback Donovan Porterie, said the week’s schedule is practically the same. The only difference he can spot is personality.

“As far as being the head coach of the team, (Barlow) is doing exactly what coach Locks would have been doing,” he said. “Coach Barlow is more of a quiet guy, but when the time comes he gets amped, coach Locksley is more vocal.”

But offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey said the offensive end of the game stands to be hit the hardest by Locksley’s absence, since Locksley, former offensive coordinator of Illinois, also installed his own spread, no-huddle scheme this season.
Dickey said the Lobos will have to increase their focus on the task at hand.

“We adjust and we move on,” he said. “This is (Locksley’s) offense. He knows it better than anybody, and he is usually able to come in when we are stuck on something and say, ‘Hey, here’s what you need to do,’ and help us with the adjustments.”

Dickey said that midway through the season, the coaches are just carrying out the blueprint Locksley put in place.

“After six games, we kind of have a feel for his thought process,” he said. “There are also a couple of guys that played in this offense for him and have coached in this offense. So, they are able to tell us what he would be thinking. It is tough when your No. 1 resource is not available, but it is what it is, and we are dealing with it.”

Dickey said Barlow — who likely received advice from Locksley before he left — is faring well.

“Obviously before coach (Locksley) left they probably talked a little bit,” he said. “But each day I think coach Barlow has come in and set the daily plan and told us what he expects, and I think he is doing a heck of a job.”

Barlow said if the Lobos manage to pull off their first win of the season against UNLV, the victory won’t be his, it will be Locksley’s.

“If we do win, it comes from what (Locksley) has been building,” he said. “It has nothing to do with me coming in, in this particular situation, and winning. I think it would be a combination of all these things he has been trying to accomplish with these kids, and it is finally coming to a head.”

Published October 20, 2009 in Sports

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Sign up now to FIRE LOCKS!

December 5, 2009 at 1:59 PM
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WINLESS
FIRE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEAD FOOTBALL COACH MIKE LOCKSLEY BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!
FANS OF LOBO FOOTBALL, UNITE!

VIST OUR FORUMS AND SIGN OUR GUEST BOOK!
http://fire-mike-locksley.com
MIKE LOCKSLEY IS IN OVER HIS HEAD

Read more …

• New Mexico finished the season 1-11, its worst record since the 1980’s. Many of those losses were blowouts.
• Coach Locksley admitted striking an assistant coach during a “physical altercation”.
• As of 10-10-09, Locksley had been blown out in 5 out of 6 games.
• Loss at home to undermanned and less talented NMSU squad.
• Poor leadership and example for student athletes — physical violence in the workplace.
• Talented recruiting class not yet in the works, despite Locksley’s supposed expertise as recruiter.
• Rapid decline in football game attendance, and general apathy toward program under Locksley.
• Segment by ESPN Outside the Lines alleges cover up and previous anger management issues.
________________________________________

Despite big promises and big words, University of New Mexico Lobo head football coach Mike Locksley delivered only a single victory in 2009, at a cost of $750,000 to the taxpayers of New Mexico. That’s right, $750,000 per victory — what a bargain. The Lobos finished near the bottom of the NCAA in most important offensive and defensive statistical categories — so much for Locksley’s bragging assertion that another number would need to be added to the scoreboard — if it was needed, it was needed on the opposing team’s side this year. Coach Locksley was hit with an EEOC complaint earlier in 2009 that has now been settled, with his former employee being given a newly created, higher-paying position, back pay, lifetime season tickets to UNM sporting events, and an undisclosed, behind the scenes settlement. Coach Mike Locksley has admitted to striking assistant coach J.B. Gerald in a “physical altercation”, and it appears possible that this incident may result in a lawsuit against UNM, as Coach Gerald has opted to leave the team, and retain an attorney. Locksley has also failed to land the recruits he could supposedly deliver, losing two of his top three recruits in 2009 to their failure to qualify. Another one of Locksley’s highly touted recruits briefly left the program and returned because of the controversy surrounding the gerald situation.

The University of New Mexico pays Coach Mike Locksley $750,000 annually, or approximately $14,423.08 per week. Has Coach Mike Locksley done anything to demonstrate that he is qualified to be a head football coach at this level? Is Mike Locksley representative of the values of the University of New Mexico Lobos, or the state of New Mexico? Does he really deserve this kind of money, based on performance, or should the University of New Mexico have terminated him for cause when they had the opportunity to do so? We feel the answer is a resounding “yes”, based on his record, performance, and behavior. Mike Locksley was a very bad hire.

The taxpayers of New Mexico and fans of University of New Mexico Lobo football deserve more coaching and more integrity for their money. It is time to recognize the mistake made by Paul Krebs in hiring Coach Locksley, and sever ties with Coach Locksley, before the program suffers irreparable damage. New Mexico Lobo football cannot survive 5 more years of Mike Locksley, and this style of management, or lack of coaching ability. Our student athletes deserve better leadership.

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