Sweet Cherry Guy: Olen earns quick New Mexico introduction
UNM Athletic Director and head men’s basketball coach Eric Olen lift a UNM jersey with his last name on during Olen’s introductory press conference on Tuesday. Olen took the position on Sunday after 21 years at UCSD. Photo Courtesy of UNM Athletics
There are some great No. 23s in basketball history.
Now, Eric Olen will lead the UNM men’s basketball team, with hopes of greatness and more championships, as the 23rd head coach in program history.
“I gotta be honest, it might take me some time to get used to this jacket,” Olen said as he wore the infamous Cherry-colored blazer.
On Tuesday, the Alabama-native but long-time Californian was introduced in the Davalos Basketball Center (south of The Pit) by UNM President Garnett Stokes and Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo.
“He’s a proven winner,” Lovo said.
In the last two seasons at the University of California San Diego, Olen posted an overall record of 51-17.
This past season, UCSD went 30-5 and 18-2 in the Big West. The Tritons won the Big West regular season championship and the Big West Conference Tournament, which secured the program’s first bid into the Division I NCAA Tournament.
But before UCSD’s first ‘Big Dance’ appearance two weeks ago, Olen built a Division II powerhouse in La Jolla, Calif.
Olen spent the last 21 years at UCSD, including the past 12 as head coach. He guided the Tritons during their transition from Division II to Division I and he’s the all-time winningest coach in UCSD history with a 240-119 record.
UCSD won nine conference championships and made six postseason appearances.
“I’ve been fortunate to coach a lot of great players. Players win games,” Olen said. “I wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t won a bunch of them. I’d like to thank all the guys who played at UC San Diego and helped build that program.”
Olen replaces Richard Pitino, who had a successful four seasons at UNM, which included three-straight postseason berths, two Mountain West Conference championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Pitino oversaw the Lobos’ first March Madness victory in 13 years with a 75-66 triumph over Marquette on March 21 in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena.
UNM would fall two days later in the second round to Michigan State, 71-63, which not only ended the Lobos’ 2024-25 season but also the Pitino era as the face of the UNM men’s basketball program.
Pitino left UNM for Xavier on March 25 and he was introduced as the Musketeers’ new head coach on Tuesday in Cincinnati.
It took Stokes and Lovo five days to find Olen and offer him the job.
Multiple reports confirmed that UAB’s Andy Kennedy and Olen were the final two candidates on Saturday.
Olen said he understands the responsibility of being the head coach at UNM.
“That is how I know I’m in the right place. I love being part of something bigger than myself and it gives me so much purpose every day,” Olen said.
Olen signed a Memorandum of Understanding Offer (MOU) with UNM.
He is set to make $1.2 million in year one and will earn a 50,000 raise each year thereafter in his five-year deal with UNM.
Olen’s contract does have compensation incentives. For a Mountain West Conference Regular Season Championship (solo or shared), he will receive a $25,000 bonus. It’s also the same amount for an MWC Tournament Championship.
He would receive a $50,000 per-win bonus in the NCAA Tournament, regardless of round and a 150,000 bonus for a National Championship Game victory.
“No one will ever have higher expectations for our team and this program than me,” Olen said.