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Pete Thamel, Senior College Sports Insider
New Mexico has agreed to a five-year deal to hire Idaho coach Jason Eck, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
Eck has been a successful FCS head coach, as he is 26-13 in three years at Idaho. He reached the FCS playoffs all three years with the Vandals, including reaching the quarterfinals the past two years.
It marked a distinct turnaround at Idaho, which had just two winning seasons in the 22 years prior to Eck’s arrival. His work at a place that doesn’t traditionally win appealed to New Mexico officials, according to sources.
He will replace Bronco Mendenhall, who left New Mexico after one season. The Lobos went 5-7 under Mendenhall, and many of the program’s key players entered the NCAA transfer portal, including quarterback Devon Dampier.
Eck takes over a difficult situation with a depleted roster and a program hasn’t reached a bowl game since 2016.
He is a former Wisconsin offensive lineman who has coached everywhere from Ball State to Montana State to South Dakota State. Eck was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at South Dakota State before taking over at Idaho in 2022.
Eck is the first major hire for New Mexico athletic director Fernando Lovo, who was hired in early December.