Who will be Lobos' next coach? Names to throw against the wall

Steve Alford, 60, Nevada

Could it actually happen? Could this old flame be rekindled? More importantly, if Alford does come back, would he be allowed to bring his favorite sidekick? Will they be allowed to golf every other day during the season? So many questions. A dozen years after Alford broke the hearts of Lobo fans everywhere by ditching a 10-year extension and agreeing to take the UCLA job, he’s the real-life version of a high school sweetheart reappearing in your life and looking just as good as ever. Revered for the six years of wild success he had at UNM, he was the architect of a rising mid-major power before handing the keys of the kingdom to his assistant, Craig Neal. The proverbial Robin to Alford’s Batman, Neal promptly burned it to the ground and got fired four years later as he set the stage for the mess Pitino inherited in 2022. It’s no secret Alford has an attachment to The Pit and UNM; his time at New Mexico is still talked about in Camelot terms. Would he come back? And would he do so if UNM said Noodles has to stay behind?

Chris Mack, 55, Charleston

How’s this for irony? The former coach at Xavier coming to the 505 to replace the guy who took his old job. That would be an interesting storyline, although it might be a stretch. Mack took to social media Tuesday night saying he intends on staying another year at Charleston. Ahh, yes, the dreaded vote of confidence. Mack played at Xavier, was an assistant there twice and finally got the head job in 2009, taking the Musketeers to eight NCAA Tournaments before Louisville hired him for $4 million a year in 2018. He led Charleston to a 24-9 record this season.

Eric Olen, 44, UC San Diego

One of the hottest names on everyone’s list (of mid-majors, that is) is this guy. He’s been the Tritons’ head coach since 2013 and successfully led the school’s transition from Division II to Division I during, of all times, the COVID year. His team broke through with 30 wins this season. He’s a UCSD lifer, having spent his first decade as an assistant. His style is the complete opposite of Pitino’s. The Tritons had one of the nation’s best defenses, ranking seventh in scoring and 13th in opponents’ shooting percentage.

Bryce Drew, 50, Grand Canyon

Like Pitino and Alford, he went back to the mid-major level to resurrect a coaching career that took a hit in a power conference. Drew was a hometown hero at his alma mater, Valparaiso, winning at least 22 games in four of his five seasons as coach. He led the Crusaders to a pair of NCAA tips and two NIT bids, then left for Vanderbilt in 2016. He quickly found that the SEC is a different animal than the Horizon League, and landed at GCU in 2020. He’s gone 120-40 with the Lopes, a future basketball-only addition to the Mountain West.

Alan Huss, 46, High Point

He’s got ties to UNM, having been an assistant for three years under Craig Neal from 2014-17. He survived that to become a Creighton assistant, then took over at High Point in 2023 for his first gig as a head coach. He’s 56-15 in two years with the Panthers, leading them to this year’s NCAA Tournament as the Big South champions.

Rodney Terry, 56, unemployed

Fired last week by Texas, his obvious connection to UNM is through Lovo and their time with the Longhorns. Terry is also a former coach in the Mountain West at Fresno State, and he spent three unremarkable years at UTEP before moving to Texas as an assistant in 2021. He’s an uninspiring pick, having had just one season in which he didn’t lose at least 10 games. He’s had only two teams finish better than fourth in the regular-season standings.

Drew Valentine, 33, Loyola

In a lot of ways, he fits the bill for what Lovo is looking for: Young, hungry and filled with fresh ideas, but not so full of himself that he’ll try to strong-arm his way into a department based on working as one instead of letting one person have all the say. He wrapped up his playing days at Oakland 12 years ago, working his way up as an assistant at Michigan State, Oakland and Loyola before taking over for Porter Moser at the ripe old age of 29. He’s 80-50 with an NCAA bid and two trips to the NIT in his three years at the helm.

Russell Turner, 54, UC Irvine

He’s the most successful coach in Anteaters history, winning 310 games in 15 seasons. He’s made 10 postseason appearances, including two trips (well, technically three since his 2020 club qualified but never went because of COVID) to the Dance. Prying him out of SoCal where he’s made a living following assistant gigs at Stanford, Wake Forest and the NBA’s Warriors might be a stretch.

Isaac Chew, 44, New Mexico

Hiring an assistant with no head coaching experience is always a gamble (see Craig Neal). Chew’s best option may be a few years at a lower-level Division I school before working his way up. An even better option would be following Pitino to Cincinnati, where his annual pay will surely dwarf that of his UNM paycheck. The thing is, he’s a popular assistant who is credited with developing much of the Lobos’ talent through recruiting and coaching. It’s a long shot, but he’s definitely worthy of consideration.

Becky Hammon, 48, Aces

There’s nothing scientific to this name, and no one at UNM is, to our knowledge, talking about her, but if the school is looking to turn heads and bring in a quality coach who needs no introduction … Just saying. She played her college ball in the Mountain West and spent seven seasons in the NBA on Gregg Popovich’s staff before taking over the WNBA’s Aces in 2022. She won the league title in each of her first two years and is one of the most well-respected basketball coaches in the business. How that makes her a viable option at a place like UNM is irrelevant; she’s one of the biggest names out there and would be an immediate sensation.

Craig Smith, 52, unemployed

Recently fired after four disappointing seasons at Utah, he’s got ties to the Mountain West after serving as head coach at Utah State from 2018-21 and assistant under Tim Miles at Colorado State from 2008-12. He led Utah State to the league title in his first season and to the NCAA all three years, which landed him the job at Utah. His time in Salt Lake City wasn’t great; he went 65-62 and never found the same recruiting magic he did in Logan. Among his oddest moments came the day protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. That same day, he led Utah State to a 77-45 blowout of the Lobos at the Rip Griffin Center in Lubbock, Texas, UNM’s home for multiple games during the COVID season.

James Borrego, 47, Pelicans

The Albuquerque native’s name comes up a lot with the UNM job. Remember 2017 when multiple media outlets proclaimed he was the pick to replace the fired Craig Neal? Yeah, not so much. He’s never been a college head coach, only serving two seasons a his alma mater, San Diego, from 2001-03. He’s been an NBA assistant and head coach ever since, serving in the top role with the Magic and Hornets. How this translates to the college game is hard to grasp, but the fact that he’s New Mexico grown and still lives here in the offseason makes him a strong candidate.

Kevin Keatts, 52, unemployed

Fired at North Carolina State only a year removed from leading the 11th-seeded Wolf Pack to the Final Four, he won just 12 games this season — proof enough for disgruntled State fans to admit it was time for a change. The Pack was 15 games under .500 in ACC play during his eight seasons in Raleigh. He never finished higher than sixth in the last seven years. Any school that hires him will be enamored by the magic act of 2024 that was, it seemed, smoke and mirrors.

Ross Hodge, 44, North Texas

Bummer! Hired Wednesday as the new coach at West Virginia, Hodge’s name popped up a lot as a candidate at several schools. He had only been the head coach of the Mean Green for two years but went 46-23 with two trips to the NIT. He’s a former assistant coach at Colorado State (Larry Eustachy) but his only other head coaching experience came at the junior college level where he went 146-24 in five seasons. His style would have fit nicely at UNM.