ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -New Mexico coach Mike Locksley isn’t hiding from his mistakes.
Going into his second season, Locksley has quietly rebounded from a turbulent rookie year, aided by guidance from coaches like Tony Dungy and eager to show his program can make news for more than lawsuits and fights between coaches.
Last season, Locksley was in the wrong headlines. There was a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former administrative assistant, then came an ugly altercation with a former assistant, which led to Locksley serving a 10-day suspension.
Things were rough on the field, too – the Lobos finished 1-11. This fall, they’re picked last in the nine-team Mountain West. New Mexico opens Sept. 4 at Oregon.
blems and moved on after taking more than a few lumps.
“If you look at the non-football news, they were human resource issues,” Locksley said. “If I learned anything from it, it’s that the head coach is like a CEO. There are structural things involved in managing. As an assistant, you’re not put in that role.”
Locksley said he survived last season with help from friends in the business – Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, Larry Fedora at Southern Mississippi and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy.
“Mike has really kind of taken care of himself,” said Gundy, who worked with Locksley at Maryland early in their careers. “He’ll call every so often and ask questions. He’s a smart guy. He wants to gather information and do everything he can to put himself in position for success.”
After last season, Locksley also started regular chats with Dungy, the former NFL coach who won a Super Bowl with Indianapolis. They rarely talk football; More often, it’s things like management philosophies or dealing with family in a profession known for long hours.
“It’s a wealth of knowledge when you get a chance to speak to him,” Locksley said.
In the fallout after last year’s mess, New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs told Locksley that any more off-field problems would prompt his firing.
for Kentucky.
Among those who stayed in Albuquerque are Doug Mallory, a member of LSU’s national title staff in 2008; George Barlow, who helped craft James Madison into a Football Championship Subdivision national contender; Darrell Dickey, the former North Texas head coach; and Rubin Carter, a standout with the Denver Broncos from 1975-86.
“These guys are big-time coaches who have other opportunities, year in and year out,” Locksley said.
Then on signing day, defensive tackle Calvin Smith of Hialeah, Fla., stunned viewers on a national cable television show when he announced he was picking New Mexico over Alabama, Florida State and Tennessee. Locksley credited his recruiting contacts and those of his coaches.
He also took a moment to defend himself.
“If this program was as bad as it has been made out to be with me at the head, you’d see a mass exodus,” Locksley said. “That’s not happening. I think the players believe in their coaches and the coaches believe in me as their leader.”
Over time, Locksley predicts it will mean success. He said he came to Albuquerque with a four-year plan that remains on target “minus a few more wins last year and less off-the-field issues.”
safe when some fans called for his removal.
Krebs said he expects to see improvement on the field this year, but his timeline calls for “a championship-caliber team” within three to five years from Locksley’s December 2008 hiring – a standard Krebs said he holds for all his new coaches.
“When you get to the core, Mike is a quality person,” Krebs said. “He’s an outstanding recruiter. He’s a guy who deserves a chance to be a head coach. Time will tell how good of a coach he is. I think he’s a very good coach, but now he’s going to have to prove it.”
Locksley won’t discuss the sexual harassment lawsuit, citing a confidentiality agreement. About his altercation with former assistant J.B. Gerald, he said he learned that barriers can become blurred in the workplace when relationships are too close.
Locksley said he wanted to see Gerald succeed – perhaps too much. As offensive coordinator at Illinois, Locksley helped Gerald land a job in 2008, then brought him to New Mexico.
Problems surfaced as Gerald struggled to meet Locksley’s expectations. The conflict boiled over during a coaches meeting on Sept. 20, a day after a loss to Air Force dropped the Lobos to 0-4.
‘s claim.
Gerald, now teaching at a middle school in Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit against Locksley and the university last month. University spokeswoman Susan McKinsey said the school “will vigorously defend itself and its employees.”
What could Locksley have done differently? He said he could have fired Gerald.
“Maybe as a first-time head coach, I was more likely to work through it,” Locksley said. “I was more willing to stand by guys when certain things happened. Maybe I should have been more willing to pull the plug and say we were going in another direction.”
He paused, then added: “Yeah, I learned quite a bit from that.”
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AP Sports Writer Jaime Aron in Irving, Texas, contributed to this report.
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