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New Mexico head football coach Bob Davie said he knows a contract extension doesn’t mean a whole lot.
On Monday UNM and Davie announced the coach’s two-year contract extension. Davie’s deal now runs through the conclusion of the 2019 season, and the financial terms of his contract remain the same. Davie originally signed a six-year deal worth $4.5 million in 2011 and his base salary is $300,000 per year not including incentives.
When Davie was head coach at Notre Dame, he signed a five-year extension after going 9-3 in 2000. He said three games into the 2001 season he thought he was going to get fired, which he was after the Fighting Irish finished the year 5-6.
“Before I get comfortable making any long-term plans, I know what these contract extensions mean,” he said.
The Lobos went 4-9 in 2012. Davie’s first year as head coach: one more victory than the team had in the 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons combined.
“We are excited about the direction of the Lobo football program on and off the field under coach Davie,” said UNM Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs in a press release. “We are committed in building a program that will bring out pride in our fans. We believe, more strongly than ever, that coach Davie is the right man to guide our program toward that end, and the extension will help preserve the future growth of the program.”
Last season the Lobos were one of the best rushing teams in the nation, finishing third in the country for an average of 301.3 rushing yards per game. However, Davie also acknowledged the team’s weak passing offense, which ranked 119th out of 120 Division I teams.
One of the biggest improvements the Lobos made in Davie’s first season was in scoring margin, where the team went from last in the nation to 95th.
Another area of improvement for the Lobos was in the classroom. UNM had 14 players earn Academic All-Mountain West honors in 2012, which was the school’s second highest total since the conference’s inception in 1999. Also, the team posted its highest fall average GPA (2.62) since 2008.
Wide receiver Jeric Magnant said he didn’t learn the news until just before practice.
“I got super excited when I heard of it,” Magnet said. “Last year’s improvement was just a little statement of how good we can be under coach Davie, and to know he’s going to be here until 2019 is really good news.”
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Davie said the contract extension confirms the program is going in the right direction.
“I think what it is is just a boost in morale for coaches. They’ve recognized that they’ve done some positives,” he said. “Short term, long term, I don’t know what any of it means. When people extend or give you a contract it makes you feel wanted.”
