LOBO FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2009 ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL Go Lobos!!! 2 September 2009 LOBO FOOTBALL COACH LOCKSLEY INSIDE FAITH Locksley, UNM entrust each other to bring success to Lobo football By Greg Archuleta Journal Staff Writer ike Locksley is an experienced risk- Mtaker. But one cold Erik Cook gives Lobo fans night in 2003, Locksley an idea of what makes him sprang up from his bed. Only tick away from the football hours earlier, the hot-shot col- field. PAGE 4 lege football recruiting coor- dinator accepted a new job, and he now was in a second- guessing frenzy. Get some insight into first- Locksley was about to year head coach Mike Loc- uproot his family — again. skley’s philosophies for his The Washington D.C. native offense and defense was leaving his back yard at PAGES 6-7 the University of Maryland, which had just finished an 11-3 season in 2002 that result- ed in a No. 13 national rank- The Lobo fan guide will help ing. He was taking the same you prepare for UNM home job at Florida, a place with football games. PAGES which he was unfamiliar. 11-12 For less money. Locksley was terrified he’d JOURNAL FILE made a mistake. And this is a Mike Locksley figures he must be successful at UNM or he won’t get another chance to be a man who doesn’t scare easily. head coach. He believes he can turn the Lobos into long-term winners. ABQJOURNAL.COM Having grown up in D.C.’s nightmarish southeast sec- Read and The word, “afraid,” hung in says he heeded the words of A Big East Conference pro- tion in the early 1980s, Lock- the air. Hearing it shook up outgoing Lobo coach Rocky gram. A Bowl Championship check out the sley’s been a tough guy most Journal each Locksley. He got on the phone, Long, who said the Lobos Series program. of his life. called Zook right back and re- needed “a miracle worker.” Locksley says initially he game day for Had to be. It’s probably the accepted the position. Whether Locksley is that was more interested in the expanded only way you can survive “He had to take a leap of coach is pure conjecture Orange than in the cherry. UNM football coverage. watching several of your faith,” Kia says. at this point. What is fact: Three factors turned Lock- friends shot and killed on the It was that same penchant Locksley never has been sley’s attention toward the inner-city streets or going to for calculated risk six years fired in almost two decades Land of Enchantment: prison because of drugs. later that brought Locksley to as a football coach, being UNM President David And now, he’s apprehen- the University of New Mexico retained twice during coach- Schmidly’s involvement in sive? Over football? STAFF as its 29th head football coach ing changes. UNM’s search. This was different. Lock- — his wife playing an integral The Lobos were the first to Sports Editor sley’s decisions no longer role in that decision as well. Better flavor: offer Locksley a head coach- Sam Aselstine affected just him. He was The man, who believes orange or cherry? ing job. Reporters married with four children. he has one shot at being a Kia’s involvement in her Greg Archuleta, “Man, I was nervous,” Opportunities for black husband’s career, which was Locksley recalls of that night. head coach, chose to lead a head coaches in the Division Rick Wright program that hasn’t won a the biggest factor. “I kept saying, ‘I can’t do this, I-A ranks are slim. “He said it was just an inter- Designer I can’t do this.’ ” conference championship in Only seven of the 120 Divi- 45 years. view and that was that,” Kia Beth Trujillo In fact, he undid his deci- sion I-A head coaches are recalls of the initial contact Talk about a scary Cover photo sion. Locksley called Gators black. from UNM. “But after he proposition. Roberto E. Rosales coach Ron Zook the next “Being a minority, I was mentioned it, I got online and morning and backed out. “I think for Mike, he has a probably just going to get one did research on New Mexico. I That’s when Locksley’s voice chance to come in and really shot at being a head coach, called him and told him, ‘You of reason intervened. put his mark on a program, unless I was successful,” need to forget about Syracuse; ON THE COVER: Mike “I was at home and my wife mold it and shape it in his Locksley says. we need to go to New Mexico. Locksley is embarking came up to me and basically own name,” Kia says. “We’re That he felt UNM was the And he was like, ‘What?’ here because he was afforded on his first season as the called me out,” Locksley said place he could have success “I said, ‘Oh my gosh, let me that opportunity here.” head coach of a football of his wife, Kia. “She said, speaks to his belief in the uni- give you some facts.’ There ‘You’ve never been afraid of Likewise, UNM athletics versity. Had Locksley waited program, the University was just so much information anything in your life. You director Paul Krebs put him- two more days, he might’ve that I said this is the place for of New Mexico Lobos. need to do what’s best for self out on a limb in hiring a been running the show at your career.’ ” first-time head coach. Krebs Syracuse. See LOCKSLEY on PAGE 3 September 2009 3 LOBO FOOTBALL COACH LOCKSLEY Locksley Survived Mean D.C. Streets from PAGE 2 was a team captain and earned “Under Ralph Friedgen, the football team defensive most valuable player part of me came alive,” Locksley says. us. We’ve got to go here.” 2009 SCHEDULE honors. Before he graduated, Mike “I learned more football in the two UNM offered Locksley the job Dec. became a father for the second time. years I was with Friedgen on offense 7 and gave him 24 hours to decide. He Sep. 5 at Texas A&M 5 p.m. Locksley says that his early experi- than anywhere I’d ever been.” quickly called Syracuse. Sep. 12 Tulsa 6 p.m. ences have helped him become a Locksley, however, made that dif- “That other place said, ‘Can better guide and adviser to his own ficult decision to leave Friedgen and you wait until Wednesday?’ They Sep. 19 Air Force 5:30 p.m. players. Maryland to coach under Ron Zook were still interviewing some other Sep. 26 NMSU 8 p.m. “One of the benefits of my back- at Florida because he thought he was candidates. ground,” he says, “is there’s very few being pigeonholed only as a great “This job was attractive enough Oct. 3 at Texas Tech 5 p.m. things that a player can come in, sit in recruiter with the Terrapins. to me that I didn’t want to wait and I Oct. 10 at Wyoming noon my office and say to me that I haven’t Locksley called Friedgen, who was wasn’t willing to wait.” experienced, seen or done.” in Hawaii coaching in the Hula Bowl Oct. 24 UNLV 6 p.m. to tell him he was leaving, called back Cream rises to the top (homecoming) On the fast track to say he was staying and then called again to say he was, in fact, going. Locksley’s ascension to UNM foot- Oct. 31 at SDSU 5:30 p.m. A short time after he completed his ball’s head honcho is one of those sto- senior year on the football team, at “We were really lucky coach Fried- ries worthy of movie-script material. Nov. 7 at Utah 4 p.m. age 22, Locksley got a full-time assis- gen happened to be out of town at the time,” Zook says with a laugh. Born on Christmas Day in 1969 to Nov. 14 BYU noon tant job coaching defensive backs and Mike and Venita Locksley in Wash- special teams for Combs, who was Locksley spent two years with ington D.C., Locksley’s father desert- Nov. 21 Colo. State 4 p.m. now the Towson head coach. Zook before Zook was fired in 2003. Locksley stayed on at Florida under ed the family when the younger Mike Nov. 28 at TCU 11 a.m. “He had a great football IQ,” says — the third of four children — was Combs, now an assistant at Johns Urban Meyer until Zook resurfaced at Illinois and offered Locksley his first entering the sixth grade. Left Venita Ticket information: 925-LOBO; Hopkins. “And you could tell he had a offensive coordinator position. and the kids homeless. schedules subject to change tremendous personality. As a player, Locksley credits Zook for preparing The D.C. street life sucked up older All times Mountain he got along with every player on brothers Bryant and Eric; both served the team, from every walk of life. I him to become a head coach. time in prison. Locksley says several think that’s why he’s a tremendous Zook politely disagrees. of his friends were shot and killed recruiter. He can relate to all societies “I appreciate him making that com- tor when Locksley played. Bol was a ment, but Mike Locksley’s done every- while he grew up there. 7-foot-7, 225-pound and rail-thin NBA of people.” He says his involvement in the local Locksley picked up things from thing for himself,” Zook says.