New Mexico's Mike Locksley Knows Patience is Wearing Thin

It only took one game for calls for Mike Locksley's job to surface.

The embattled second-year coach at New Mexico, whose tenure has been wrought with off-field incidents and a 1-11 record in his first season, lost his season opener last Saturday, 72-0, to Oregon. It was the Lobos' worst defeat since 1991, and it stirred fans to say enough is enough.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

After settling lawsuits, making peace with a tough first year and adding Tony Dungy as a mentor, Locksley had renewed confidence that this season wasn't going to be as bad as his first. And that his team, which actually got better as last season progressed and never seemed to quit on its coach, would pull it together and begin laying a foundation that would bring New Mexico football back to the level it was earlier in the decade when it was going to bowl games every year.

But with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter of the season opener, everything started to go downhill quickly. It started with an interception by quarterback B.R. Holbrook that the Ducks eventually turned into a touchdown and then a fumble on the next possession that turned into another touchdown. It was a sign of things to come because, on four of the Lobos' six possessions during the second quarter, the Ducks turned two turnovers into touchdowns and ran back two punts for scores.

"There was nothing in our preparation that would have led me to think that what happened would have happened," Locksley said. "We had what I thought was a great fall camp. We came out of it with a lot of confidence. But with an inexperienced team, the last thing to come is consistency. And I strongly believe that outcome of the first game is not indicative of the type of team that we have. But I also think it is indicative of what happens to a team that's not experienced.

"When you turn the ball over five times in a quarter and let two punt returns go back for touchdowns, you won't beat a good high school team."

In all fairness, Locksley's hard luck -- on the field -- is not all his doing. The Lobos were in rough shape when former coach Rocky Long left to become the defensive coordinator at San Diego State. During Saturday's game, 38 of the 62 players on the travel squad were either freshmen or sophomores and 10 of them are starters.

The Lobos are still dealing with NCAA sanctions that have cut Locksley's first two recruiting classes by five members each. New Mexico will lose three scholarships during this recruiting cycle before the penalty is over.

In spite of the sanctions, Locksley has three highly rated players who transferred from major schools sitting out because of NCAA transfer rules.

But one of the biggest issues at New Mexico has seemingly been support.

As Long was walking out the door, he complained of fan support and said he wasn't the right guy to win a championship there.

"The community has to get behind a good football coach and fill up the stadium every single game, win or lose, jump in with both feet and make this place special if they want to get to the top," Long said in his farewell press conference.

However, Locksley hasn't exactly given the Lobo Nation something to get behind. Locksley's off-field antics -- he was accused of sexual harassment and age discrimination, and retaliation by a former administrative assistant and former wide receivers coach J.B. Gerald alleged that Locksley choked him, punched him in the face and used profanity toward him in front of the other coaches -- have made him hard to like and the lack of wins on the field have made that even easier.

"As much as I'd like to give Lobo fans a winner immediately, we're doing everything we can to develop as fast as we can. But as with any development of a championship-level program, it's going to take some time. There's not one doubt in my mind that I'm going to have the program where it needs to be."
-- Mike Locksley, New Mexico coach And Locksley knows that patience is wearing thin as he tries to build the New Mexico program in a similar fashion to the places he's worked before.

"There are a lot of people that still don't really know me other than what they read about me based on media accounts," Locksley said. "It's not that I'm out trying to sell myself. What I'm trying to do is build this program and give this state and our fans, the Lobo Nation, a program that they can be proud of. I'm trying to build, not a quick-fixer deal, but a foundation for this program that will last for years and years and years."

A quick fix is not on the horizon for this program. A one-week reversal of fortune is unlikely. The Lobos host Texas Tech this weekend and then a ranked Utah team the next. An 0-3 start is probable, which will make Locksley's leash that much shorter. But Locksley maintains that his goal is to get to a bowl game this year and he thinks the growing pains his team went through last year and will continue to go through early this season will make it a stronger team down the road.

If he gets a chance to see it through.

"As much as I'd like to give Lobo fans a winner immediately, we're doing everything we can to develop as fast as we can," Locksely said. "But as with any development of a championship-level program, it's going to take some time. There's not one doubt in my mind that I'm going to have the program where it needs to be.

"If I worry about fan perception and losing the fans, I'll wind up becoming a fan. Point blank. I appreciate that we have fans that care. To me that's half the battle. If you didn't have fans that complained or expressed concern, then this probably wouldn't be an attractive job."