University of New Mexico Head Men’s Basketball Coach Eric Olen has agreed to a new five-year contract that will keep him in Albuquerque through the 2030-31 season, Vice President/Director of Athletics Ryan Berryman announced.
“We are incredibly excited that Eric has committed to the Lobos for the long-term and he is well-deserving of this contract,” said Berryman. “Since his arrival on campus, he has worked tirelessly to enhance UNM’s reputation as a basketball power in the West and his success this past season despite having no returning student-athletes is indicative of his leadership. We are excited about the future of Lobo Basketball under Coach’s leadership, and I look forward to seeing him, his wife, Lauren, and his daughters in The Pit – Powered by Nusenda for the foreseeable future.”
The 2025-26 season, Olen’s first at the helm of the program, was a historic one. The Lobos, who were one of just three teams in the nation to not return a single player, coach, or basketball staff member in 2025-26, posted a 26-11 overall record and finished third in the Mountain West before reaching the semifinals of the National Invitational Tournament. The 26 wins was second-most ever by a first-year UNM coach, and the four postseason wins (one Mountain West Tournament and three in the NIT), are the most ever by a Lobo coach in his debut season.
“Since his arrival on campus, he has worked tirelessly to enhance UNM’s reputation as a basketball power in the West and his success this past season despite having no returning student-athletes is indicative of his leadership. We are excited about the future of Lobo Basketball under Coach’s leadership, and I look forward to seeing him, his wife, Lauren, and his daughters in The Pit – Powered by Nusenda for the foreseeable future”. Ryan Berryman, Vice President/Director of Athletics
“This past year has been an amazing experience for me and my family,” said Olen, “It’s an honor to lead this program and walking down the ramp on game day is something I will never take for granted. The support from this community and passion of our fan base make the University of New Mexico a truly special place. I appreciate everyone that helped make year one so memorable and I’m excited to build on that foundation. Thank you to Ryan Berryman, President Stokes and the entire administration for their confidence in our staff. We will continue to work every day to make Lobo Nation proud.”
The 2025-26 Lobos scored a school-record 3,004 points, with a squad that became the first UNM team to feature three double-digit freshman scorers. The Lobos finished season ranked in the top 50 in the NET and KenPom. The roster featured Jake Hall, the 2025-26 Mountain West Freshman of the Year, who became the third freshman in conference history to earn First Team All-Mountain West honors. Hall became the first freshman in Mountain West history to score over 600 points and set the UNM single-season three-point record with 117. Tomislav Buljan earned Second Team All-Mountain West honors leading the conference in rebounding (10.3 rpg) and double-doubles (17).
Heading into the 2026-27 season, the entire staff will return for their second season, and the Lobos will return three key players in Hall, Uriah Tenette and Chris Howell. In Hall (16.4 ppg) and Tenette (10.6 ppg), their combined 27.0 ppg is the highest for any returning pair of freshmen in the nation. Howell (5.5 ppg) started the first 11 games of last year for UNM before missing the rest of the season due to injury.
“What Eric accomplished this season — building a 26-win program from the ground up, with no returning players, no returning staff — is a reflection of exceptional leadership and culture-building,” said UNM President Garnett Stokes. “Lobo Basketball is one of the most visible expressions of who we are as a university, and I’m grateful that Eric and his family are committed to this community for years to come.”
A proven winner, Olen was named the 23rd head coach of Lobo men’s basketball on March 30, 2025. He came to New Mexico from UC San Diego, where he transformed the Tritons into a Division II power before they transitioned to Division I and reached the 2025 NCAA Tournament in their first year of eligibility.
Olen’s new contract will run from 2026-2031, adding one additional year from the original agreement and includes a retention bonus of $100,000 in May 2026 and again in May 2027. The base compensation increases in Years Three, Four and Five of the agreement, with the average annual value increasing from $1.3M in the original agreement to $1.45M. The new agreement is indicative of a larger investment into Lobo Basketball which includes increases to both NIL for student-athletes as well as support staff compensation and retention.
https://golobos.com/news/2026/05/11/eric-olen-and-unm-agree-to-new-five-year-deal
