Why did Jason Eck stay at UNM? Here's what the head football coach had to say after signing new deal
Coach Jason Eck and his team sing the UNM fight song after the Lobos鈥� 20-17 win over Colorado State on Nov. 15 at University Stadium.
Published
Modified
There were a few good reasons why Jason Eck decided to stay at New Mexico.
For starters, he said his family likes it. The Lobos might be just as good 鈥� if not better 鈥� next year. And he likes the people he鈥檚 working with, be they administrators or fellow coaches.
Last, but certainly not least?
鈥淢oving is a pain in the ass,鈥� UNM鈥檚 head coach laughed in a news conference Monday. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of factors. It wasn鈥檛 that tough a decision.鈥�
A raise didn鈥檛 hurt either.
Eck signed a new five-year deal with the school last week, increasing his annual compensation by $400,000 in the first year of a contract that runs through 2030. The former Idaho coach is also subject to an escalating salary, and new incentives based on regular season wins, Mountain West Championship appearances and more.
UNM completed a 9-3 regular season on Friday with a 23-17 double-overtime win over San Diego State. At 6-2, the Lobos tied for first place in the Mountain West standings, but did not qualify for the league title game.
The school announced the deal Sunday.
UNM Athletic Director Fernando Lovo said conversations around the new deal started over the last couple of weeks amid a season-ending six-game winning streak. There was a 鈥渟ense of urgency,鈥� he added, to get a new deal done in light of Eck and UNM鈥檚 success on and off the field; football attendance increased 51.8% in Eck鈥檚 first season, the largest one-year jump in FBS.
鈥�(With) the buy-in from the community, I felt like it was critically important for us not to lose that momentum,鈥� Lovo said in Monday鈥檚 news conference. 鈥淚 talked to Jason about that a lot 鈥� We鈥檝e got to increase our ticket sales, we鈥檝e got to increase our donations, we鈥檝e got to increase our community involvement, not just in our football program, but across the board. But football is a big part of that.鈥�
Previously listed as a candidate for multiple Power Four jobs, Eck said he didn鈥檛 talk to any other schools throughout the season, but his representation fielded 鈥渁t least, like, two鈥� calls from other programs.
No opportunity qualified as the 鈥渞ight fit,鈥� he added.
鈥淲e certainly weren鈥檛 looking 鈥� people called us. We鈥檇 talk about it and make a decision,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it was not a real tough decision. There was nothing (that) came up (where I said), 鈥榤an, that鈥檚 a job that I think is incredible.鈥� We鈥檙e making this an incredible job, which people haven鈥檛 said in a while.鈥�
Eck鈥檚 new incentives are heavily tied to regular and postseason success, ranging from a $50,000 bonus for winning seven games to $150,000 for winning the Mountain West Championship. In the event of a College Football Playoff berth, Eck could earn as much as $450,000 through a set of bonuses Lovo called 鈥渁chievable鈥� in light of UNM鈥檚 performance this season.
鈥淲e just tried (to) uncover every stone to make sure that we鈥檙e being aggressive and we were incentivizing success, because I know that鈥檚 what Jason鈥檚 expectations are,鈥� Lovo said.
Eck鈥檚 buyout figures remain unchanged from his previous contract. If he were to leave for another job, Eck would owe UNM $4 million in his first contract year; $2 million in the second; $750,000 in the third; $500,000 in the fourth; and $300,000 in the fifth and final year of the deal.
When asked about why the buyout remained the same, Lovo said "it's commitment on coach Eck鈥檚 end and on our end, right that we鈥檙e invested in this (and) we wanna build this and continue to grow.
鈥淎nd as (Eck) said 鈥� I think it鈥檚 gonna take an incredible opportunity for him and his family to leave here, and at the end of the day, we want to make sure that we鈥檙e committed. And I know he feels the same way. So I think that was a big point for us, to ensure that.鈥�
As part of Eck鈥檚 new deal, UNM鈥檚 staff salary pool is expected to increase; Lovo said those details are still being talked through. The majority of UNM鈥檚 assistants are currently on one-year deals expiring in February.
"We have a Broyles Award (nominee) in (defensive coordinator Spence Nowinsky) and we have some other great coaches on staff ... We're going to make sure that we take care of them in the manner that they've earned," Lovo added.
