With off-season house-cleaning over, the UNM football team hopes to spring forward the next four weeks, so it doesn’t fall back to the bottom of the Mountain West Conference.
Third-year head coach Mike Locksley added new faces and reshuffled his staff, patching personnel holes with coaches from last year. Stressing personnel and attitude changes, Locksley told reporters Monday that this year is bowl game or bust for the Lobos, who are coming off back-to-back 1-11 seasons.
“I’ll be very disappointed if we don’t put a product on the field that sees us in a bowl game at the end of the year,” he said.
Disappointed because, unlike last year, Locksley has Division I transfers Lamaar Thomas, Deon Long, Javarie Johnson and Omar Castillo at his disposal. Thomas sat out last season after transferring from Ohio State. He said he couldn’t sleep the night before the team’s first meeting. Spring drills kicked off Tuesday at the football practice facility.
“It’s been a long time, a long year, and I just can’t really wait to get out there,” he said.
Entering his third year at the helm, Locksley said he feels comfortable with his roster this season.
“As a head coach, I finally feel as though this is my team,” he said. “We’ve been able to navigate through a tough stretch here with the NCAA penalty, with the losing. (We’ve) been able to change the culture, and you do that by changing people and changing mindsets.”
The Lobos return 19 starters: six on offense, nine on defense, and four on special teams.
That continuity extends to the coaching staff, Locksley said.
Even with new offensive coordinator David Reaves accused of NCAA violations in 2009 while coaching at Tennessee, Locksley said the offensive spread scheme will remain the same.
George Barlow, the Lobos’ defensive backs coach the last two seasons, is now the defensive coordinator. Departing from former defensive coordinator Doug Mallory’s 4-3, the Lobos will employ a 4-2-5 scheme this year. Locksley said that mixed coverages, more pressure, and an always-attacking upfront will typify the defense.
“By promoting from within with George Barlow and David Reaves and taking over on each side of the ball, we’ll be able to keep the continuity, terminology, schemes and systems,” Locksley said.
Locksley said he plans to focus more on “little things,” like helping out in the weight room and spending more time with his players.
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Returning starter Carmen Messina, who led the Mountain West Conference in tackles the last two years, said he has a lot to play for.
“This is my last year, and I can’t hold anything back,” he said. “I want to go to a bowl game, and I want to get a bowl win.”
To nurture that budding attitude, Locksley said all starting positions are up for grabs. Even Messina doesn’t have his starting spot guaranteed.
But the biggest question this offseason? Who will take over at the quarterback position? Junior B.R. Holbrook, sophomores Stump Godfrey and Tarean Austin and incoming freshman Dustin Walton will vie for the position. Holbrook, who is coming off knee surgery, saw limited action in 2010.
Locksley said there is no clear-cut favorite.
“The quicker we can find out who that guy is, the better,” he said. “But we’re going to let the process run its course and make sure we are able to identify which guy gives us the best chance to win.”
