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EDITOR'S NOTE: The original version of this article stated Eddie Nu帽ez was being paid $420,000 annually and had no buyout in his contract at UNM. That was based on a contract that had been made available by UNM, but had not been updated after a new contract was signed in June 2024, which included a raise to $520,000 annually and included a $150,000 buyout should he break that contract. The information is now reflected in this article.

Eddie Nu帽ez, vice president and athletic director for the University of New Mexico for the past seven years, has accepted an offer to be the next athletic director for the University of Houston.

The Journal confirmed the news with Nu帽ez on Saturday afternoon and both schools later released announcements about the move.

The University of New Mexico will begin its search for a new athletic director in the coming week.

鈥淚 want to thank Eddie for the work that he has done here at The University of New Mexico,鈥� UNM President Garnett S. Stokes said in the school鈥檚 release. 鈥淗e has led Lobo Nation with pride and enthusiasm, and he and his wife Jane have been terrific ambassadors for UNM and our athletic department. Our success on the field and in the classroom is a reflection of his leadership, and it is a source of pride for all Lobos.鈥�

Nu帽ez agreed to a five-year deal with Houston, which has one of the nation鈥檚 top men鈥檚 basketball programs and is beginning its second season in the Big 12 Conference. He will be formally introduced at Houston in a Wednesday news conference.

鈥淓ddie Nu帽ez brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success during a time of great transformation in college athletics,鈥� said Houston President Renu Khator. 鈥淗is leadership will be critical as we continue to elevate our athletics programs, enhance the student-athlete experience and build on the tremendous momentum at the University of Houston.鈥�

Nu帽ez, 48, is a Miami native and University of Florida graduate. He was the deputy athletic director at LSU for 14 years before accepting the UNM AD job in 2017. He currently sits on the NCAA鈥檚 Division I Council and is chairman of the Division I Men鈥檚 Basketball Oversight Committee.

Tilman Fertitta, UH Board of Regents chairman and owner of the Houston Rockets, said, 鈥淓ddie has demonstrated incredible tenacity and leadership during his many years at LSU and as AD at New Mexico. He knows how to manage complex issues and solve problems.鈥�

Houston had an $81 million athletics budget in the 2022-23 fiscal year, according to the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Business Journal, prompting Nu帽ez鈥檚 predecessor Chris Pezman, who was fired in June, to state, 鈥淥ur biggest challenge right now, honestly, is money.鈥�

While the Cougars鈥� budget was expected to grow to the $95 million range this past year after joining the Big 12, it is still the lowest among all power conference programs. Nu帽ez, meanwhile, was applauded for increasing fundraising dramatically at UNM, which operates under a $32 million annual athletics budget.

Nu帽ez and his wife have two teenage daughters. He told the Journal they struggled with the decision to accept the Houston offer because sa国际传媒官网网页入口 has become a special place for them, admittedly far more than he would have initially thought after his first few years on the job.

Hired amid turmoil and intense financial scrutiny of UNM鈥檚 athletic department, Nu帽ez has overseen improvement in fundraising efforts and switched the school鈥檚 multimedia rights partnership. He oversaw the reorganization of the Lobo Club shortly after taking the job, trying desperately to tap into donor resources in one of the country鈥檚 poorest states without the type of corporate sponsorship opportunities available to many power conference programs.

Nu帽ez did not attend attend Saturday鈥檚 Cherry Silver Gala, one of the athletic department鈥檚 largest annual fundraisers. With the reality of moving on without Nu帽ez being a clear theme of the night, the Journal learned late Saturday that the gala brought in $1,081,000, about $250,000 more than its previous record.

On his watch, UNM won a national title (women鈥檚 cross country), 22 conference titles and had 53 NCAA Tournament appearances.

Nu帽ez signed a new contract in June that paid him $520,000 annually 鈥� $400,000 in base salary and $120,000 in other compensation, not including potential bonuses. The contract was set to expire June 30, 2029.

Nu帽ez will owe a buyout of $150,000 for breaking his contract with UNM.

Next for UNM

When Nu帽ez was hired in 2017, UNM utilized a process that included both a search firm and the heavy influence of the board of regents. An internal candidate was not among the finalists, which included Nu帽ez, Eastern Illinois AD Tom Michael and Kentucky Deputy AD DeWayne Peevy.

UNM has not yet indicated if it will use a search firm or given a timetable for the search, though in general athletic director searches, unlike head coaching searches, often take several weeks or even months.

Internally, the leaders within the athletic department include Assistant Vice President/Deputy AD David Williams, Senior Associate AD for sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Administration Ed Manzanares and Senior Associate AD and Executive Director of the Lobo Club Jalen Dominguez.

Ryan Berryman was another senior associate AD before starting a position last week at the Big Ten鈥檚 University of Washington.

Also worth keeping an eye on is how Nu帽ez鈥檚 move could affect Lobo coaches. Some, but not all, have clauses that lessens their buyout should Nu帽ez no longer be the AD.

For example, men鈥檚 basketball coach Richard Pitino鈥檚 contract states his buyout should he leave for another job is reduced by 50% for one calendar year from Nu帽ez鈥檚 departure. So, Pitino鈥檚 would-be buyout of $750,000 is $375,000 for the next year.