Neal was players’ and fans’ favorite for head coaching position from the get-go

@ThomasRomeroS

It was evident from the start who UNM fans and players wanted as the next men’s basketball head coach.

They got their wish on Tuesday, when Craig Neal signed a five-year, $750,000 annual contract to become the 20th head coach of the Lobos, three days after Steve Alford announced he was going to UCLA.

At Neal’s introductory press conference on Wednesday, Athletics Director Paul Krebs said the decision to hire Neal was an easy one.

“In the end, we felt he was the best candidate for the job. He was more involved in the direction of the team — more than the X’s and O’s … In my opinion, he was the right guy at the right time for the right reasons,” Krebs said.

Junior guard Kendall Williams, who received an Associated Press All-American honorable mention on Monday, said Neal keeps the program going.

“He’s really taught me the most about the game. I’m very confident about his abilities,” Williams said. “Overall, it’s the best decision they could have made — to keep it in-house.”

UNM women’s basketball head coach Yvonne Sanchez faced a similar situation to Neal’s. Sanchez was promoted to the head coaching position when former head coach Don Flanagan retired. Sanchez said she knows how Neal felt during the whole process.

“Because they’ve won since he’s been here. It wasn’t like a coach got fired and left. It wasn’t like a coach left and the program wasn’t in great shape,” she said. “Coach Alford and Neal were a great combination here. They’ve won championships here and they’ve packed The Pit here. They’ve seen the transformation. It’s a natural fit.”

Neal’s oldest son, Cullen Neal, said it’s “awesome” that his dad was selected to be the Lobos’ newest head coach.

“I think he’s going to be a great coach. He’s a really great leader and I think he’s going to do a great job,” Cullen Neal said.