Eric Olen accepted UNM's offer to be the 23rd Lobo men's basketball coach on Saturday night. The former UC San Diego coach accepted a five-year offer of $6.5 million — starting a $1.2 million this season to coach the Lobos. Olen replaces Richard Pitino, who left UNM for Xavier after four years.

The University of New Mexico officially welcomed Eric Olen as the head coach of its men’s basketball program on Tuesday. UNM president Garnett Stokes, UNM athletic director Fernando Lovo and Olen all spoke in an introductory press conference.

Olen guided the Tritons to a 30-5 record in the 2024-25 season, winning the Big West regular season and tournament titles. The team earned a berth in the NCAA Division I tournament in its first year of eligibility,