New Mexico AD Paul Krebs issued the following statement regarding the future of head basketball coach Craig Neal late this afternoon:

In order to end speculation, I’m announcing that Craig Neal will return and coach the men’s basketball team next season. The team went through a very difficult season with several injuries to key players that hindered the quest for a championship, and we were in contention until the final three weeks. Off the court, the team continues to be leaders in the classroom and in the community. I have high expectations of the program, as does Craig, and our on-court performance needs to improve. We have an excellent incoming recruiting class and we fully expect to return Lobo Basketball to the high level of excellence and achievement that our fans deserve.

New Mexico just wrapped up their season with a 17-14 (10-8 Mountain West) record. Neal is 76-52 in his four seasons with the Lobos, but just 49-45 in the last three seasons, following a 27-7 rookie campaign.