ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – University of New Mexico Vice President/Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo announced Sunday (Mar. 30) that Eric Olen has been named the 23rd head coach of Lobo men’s basketball.
Olen, who comes to New Mexico from UC San Diego, has a remarkable track record. He transformed the Tritons into a Division II power. He successfully transitioned them to Division I. They made it to the 2025 NCAA Tournament in their first year of eligibility.
https://player.anyclip.com/anyclip-widget/lre-widget/prod/v1/src/lre.js“We’re thrilled to welcome Eric Olen as the new head coach of Lobo Men’s Basketball,” said Lovo. “Eric is a proven winner with an incredible track record.
Beyond his accolades and success on the court, he is a values-driven leader who prioritizes student-athletes. We’re confident he’ll bring tremendous energy and vision to our program.
Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Eric, his wife Lauren, and their daughters Avery and Madeline. We’re excited to have them join the Lobo family here in Albuquerque.
The all-time winningest coach in UC San Diego history has a 240-119 record. Olen spent the last 21 years at the school. This includes the past 12 years as head coach.
He guided the Tritons during their transition from Division II to Division I. He took the program to new heights at both levels.
“I am honored to be the next Head Coach of New Mexico Men’s Basketball,” said Olen. “I want to thank President Stokes, Fernando Lovo, and the UNM leadership team for this opportunity.
This is one of the most special programs in college basketball, and my family and I are thrilled to be a part of Lobo Nation!
I can’t wait to get to work and write the next great chapter in New Mexico basketball history. Olen had a historic 2024-25 season at UCSD. The Tritons won the Big West regular season and tournament titles. They made their March Madness debut in their first year of eligibility.
He led the program to a 30-5 record. The Tritons were second in the nation in scoring margin at +17.5 points per game. UCSD went 18-2 in the Big West to win the regular season title. They also won the Big West Tournament in their debut in the championship.
Olen was honored as Big West Coach of the Year and the NABC Pacific District Coach of the Year. In 2024-25, the Tritons had a KenPom ranking 39 and finished 31 in the final NET rankings.
Both rankings are the highest for any team in college basketball outside of the Power-5 conferences and the WCC.
In addition to ranking second in Division I in scoring margin, the Tritons under Olen ranked in the national Top-10 in assist-turnover ratio (fourth at 1.80), scoring defense (sixth at 61.8), winning percentage (seventh at .857), turnovers forced (eighth at 15.91 per game) and three-pointers made per game (ninth at 10.7 per game).
From 2021-24, Olen guided UC San Diego through the Division I transition period. He capped the four-year process with a 21-12 record in 2023-24. This achievement earned him his first Big West Coach of the Year honor.
The Tritons went 15-5 in the Big West that season. They finished as runner-up in the regular season but weren’t eligible for the conference tournament.
UCSD did earn a berth in the CBI, the school’s first Division I postseason appearance. Olen’s first seven seasons as a head coach at UCSD were at the Division II level. He led the Tritons to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2016 to 2020. The school had just one prior Division II postseason appearance before that span.
UCSD reached the NCAA West Region final in 2016 and 2017 and was the No. 1 seed for the 2020 NCAA West Regional before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the tournament.
In 2019-20, Olen was named the NABC West Region Coach of the Year. He led the Tritons to a 30-1 record and a No. 4 national ranking in their final season in Division II.
Overall, Olen led UCSD to three California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular-season titles. He also led them to four consecutive CCAA tournament crowns. He was the 2017 and 2020 CCAA Coach of the Year.
Prior to becoming head coach at UC San Diego, Olen was an assistant coach for nine seasons.
During his tenure as an assistant, he served as the recruiting coordinator and worked with the program’s post-players.
After just one year on the staff, he was promoted to the top assistant. A native of Mobile, Ala., Olen played collegiately at Spring Hill College in his hometown.
He helped the Badgers achieve three consecutive appearances in the NAIA National Tournament. These included trips to the NAIA Elite Eight in 2000 and 2001.
Olen graduated from Spring Hill in 2004 with a degree in Finance. Olen and his wife, Lauren, have two daughters, Avery and Madeline. The coaching carousel continues to spin.
Many moving parts and the college basketball chessboard are still flying across the country.
A specific job opened recently at New Mexico. Richard Pitino scratched his power conference itch there. He then went back East to coach the Xavier Musketeers of the Big East Conference. New Mexico needed to fill that vacancy.
The Lobos made the move Sunday morning, hiring UC San Diego head coach Eric Olen. New Mexico’s hire completes a series of Mountain West coaching changes.
One Mountain West school, UNLV, fired its previous coach, Kevin Kruger. Another Mountain West school, Colorado State, had its previous head coach leave. Niko Medved went for another job with the Gophers of Minnesota.
Let’s examine Eric Olen’s track record. He is coming to Albuquerque from San Diego. We should also consider other aspects of the still-evolving coaching carousel Mountain West measurements. UNLV hired Josh Pastner to replace Kevin Kruger.
Colorado promoted assistant coach Ali Farokhmanesh to replace Niko Medved.
New Mexico’s hiring of Eric Olen to replace Richard Pitino sets the Lobos apart from their conference competitors.
UNLV went with a high-major coach who had been out of coaching for the past two years. Colorado State was promoted from within and sought continuity.
New Mexico hired the hot mid-major coach. He is perceived as a rising star with an undeniable track record.
This track record involves building a successful basketball program. It should lead to continued success for this New Mexico Program in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
These are three different approaches. Most people would rate UNLV’s hire as third-best from this group. Colorado State fans are happy with Farokhmanesh’s promotion.
New Mexico fans should like Eric Olen’s hiring. New Mexico history New Mexico has had plenty of NCAA Tournament teams over the years. However, the Lobos have not reached the Sweet 16 since 1974.
The coach who can break through will never have to pay for a hatch green chile burger again in Albuquerque.
Learn More about New Mexico job turnover and San Diego State comparisons. The Lobos have had six coaches this century, none of whom have stayed more than six years.
One has stayed more than five. Compare this to San Diego State. Steve Fisher and then Brian Dutcher have been fixtures for a program. This program made the Final Four, Elite Eight, and Sweet 16 this century.
New Mexico aspires to be like San Diego State. They seek a coach who can elevate the program for many years to come. This coach should ensure success.
If a coach can succeed at a San Diego State level in New Mexico, the coach will remain. They will stick around for more than six years.
Eric Olen will try to become that guy. At the very least, if he succeeds, he can become king of Albuquerque.
Eric Olen is a builder. Eric Olen coached at UC San Diego when the school was a lower-division program.
Olen stayed with UCSD during the program’s transition to Division I, which began in 2021. At age 33, Olen coached his first game at UCSD in 2013.
He turned UCSD into a 30-win program at the NCAA Division II level. In the first year of the Division I transition in 2021, UC San Diego won only seven games. They faced more prominent and more formidable opponents.
By Year 4, UCSD had won 21 games. This season, it has won 30. Olen knows how to build from the ground up. He did this in two different installments at UC San Diego, first in Division II and then in Division I.
Eric Olen has a track record of success at multiple levels. He is known as a program builder and is committed to player development. He is poised to lead New Mexico into a new era of Lobo basketball.
Lobo fans have every reason to be excited for what’s ahead. Olen has proven he knows how to build a winning program. With The Pit’s electric atmosphere and a passionate fanbase behind him, the potential for greatness is within reach.
The journey starts now, and the future of Lobo basketball has never looked brighter.
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