Greg Archuleta doubts that UNM will let Locks go in year 2 of a 6 year contract

[Digital Lobo]

Just shown on KOAT. I think Krebs has hamstrung us with Locksley for 3-4 years based on the idiotic contract that he gave Locks.

Oh well, at least Bandito and Nolebosfan can do a big chest bump if they are capable of levitating 3 inches off of the ground.

Maybe Locks can recruit his way out of this mess and fire most of his assistant coaches. Short of that we are back to the Sheppard days and admission to a game for a can of creamed corn.

[LoboColo]

The administration owes it to the players and the fans to buyout Locks. They've got to get it figured out. There isn't another option. At least not one I want to contemplate.

[red wolf rob]

I can't believe arch could be so wrong. unm can not afford to keep locks. In the same story locks had 80% of people saying he has ran out of time. I have been following lobo sports for over 30 yrs, and I have never seen the community this angry. he has to go by the end of this season, or season tickets will drop below 10,000 next year.

[TheLoboMan]

I think all media members such as Arch say these things because they probably get bombarded with questions by fans who see them on the street. Everyone wants the inside info.

I think if we get beat by the Aggies by more than 2 TDs its over no matter what.

I also believe that if this year stays the course that UNM will have to buyout Locks. People will not go to the games and the money lost in ticket sales will finish off all of the athletic department. It would drain a lot of resources and UNM would probably have to cut some sports.

[Roob]

I'm confused - I thought it was a 7 year deal. None of the other MWC recently hired coaches got 7 years. Christensen, Hoke, and Hauck got between 3 to 5 years per. And most were in the $450K to $675K range. The amount paid is not out of whack, but the 7 years seems out of norm compared to market.

[EPluribusUNM]

Oh yeah, I remember Sheppard. 1987 to 1991. Five years for him. He did win 9 games and only lost 50. Locks is on track for at least 6 or 7 in five years, so we gave him seven to match Sheppard.

Roob, the math is simple. ;-]

[mdanger007]

I'm confused - I thought it was a 7 year deal. None of the other MWC recently hired coaches got 7 years. Christensen, Hoke, and Hauck got between 3 to 5 years per. And most were in the $450K to $675K range. The amount paid is not out of whack, but the 7 years seems out of norm compared to market.

Lock's contract is 5 years 7 months (12/08/08 - 6/30/14).

[mikexom]

In the oil business, even major oil companies will seek independent investors for oil field rejuvenations by promising a substantial percentage of the incremental oil to the investors over a specified time period as repayment for the initial investment. So we get a bank experienced in this sort of schemes (we used a Swiss Bank, UBS), call it the New Mexico Lobo Football Rejuvenation Project, to prepare an offering (essentially put up the buyout money along with the new coaches package, and receive say 40% of UNM's gross football revenues above Locksley's current baseline over the next 5 years. We then have to get approval by the investors for the new hire (since he is the rejuvenation mechanism) prior to the fire/hire step.

Everyone's happy, we get 100% of Locks revenues plus say 60% of the increase, investors get a piece of the winner, which if the new coach (probably some consensus up and comer, proven winner/recruiter at smaller college) succeeds would be a great investment, if the new coach is a loser, the investors get screwed (so interest rate would probably fairly high on the deal).

[pasqualey]

I am really confused by everyone's comments that we need to buy Locksley out of his contract. This guy has been an embarassment on and off of the field. It appears to me that there must be some kind of morals clause or other criteria along these lines that would allow the University to let him go for cause. If this is not the case, there should be some sort of performance clause. Last year the local news reported that Alford's contract allowed for bonuses due to achieving : minimum Grade Point Average, winning the MWC, etc. So, my question is, do the coaches receive contracts with incentives/bonuses for exceeding the minimum standards in the contract but not suffer any repercussions if they do not win at least a minimum amount of games or meet other specific criteria that is crucial to the program? If this is how they write these contracts, hey sign me up!

[txlobo95]

This guy has been an embarassment on and off of the field. It appears to me that there must be some kind of morals clause or other criteria along these lines that would allow the University to let him go for cause. If this is not the case, there should be some sort of performance clause.

Completely agree. Has anyone actually seen the contract under the freedom of information act? I would love to know whether their are provisions for creating a toxic situation and disenfranchising your fanbase?

It would be hard to stomach having to pay-off an incompetent coach and his staff just to restore our program back to any respectability.

With Alfords contract so incentive laden, I find it almost incomprehensible that you give a first time coach a long term deal without performance clauses or minimum standards that must be met??? Certainly, there would be some type of language along those lines?

If not, I would have to question the competency of our AD and lawyers for taking such a huge risk over a long period of time with taxpayer $'s with a completely unproven new head coach.

[Roob]

Oh yeah, I remember Sheppard. 1987 to 1991. Five years for him. He did win 9 games and only lost 50. Locks is on track for at least 6 or 7 in five years, so we gave him seven to match Sheppard.

Roob, the math is simple. ;-]

Oh behave!

[attydude]

Absent something unforeseen, he won't last the season.

[tooth]

Do we all realize that once we get rid of Locksley we will probably lose 10-15 players if not more that came here just because of him.

[Roob]

Do we all realize that once we get rid of Locksley we will probably lose 10-15 players if not more that came here just because of him.

...

[chupacabra]

What about the pending lawsuit by Gerald? Does the outcome of the civil suit provide UNM with the opportunity to sever ties with Locksely without buying out the remainder of his contract?

[UWSLobo]

Here's what will happen. UNM will terminate for cause and settle for somewhere between what the value of the contract was and zero dollars. If UNM owes him $750K annually for the next four years (total of $3M) through 2014, there is no way UNM will end up paying that much considering the mess we are in. My guess is a little less than $1M.

Seriously, do you guys (and gals) realize how little that is? $1M is just 10,000 people forking over $100 apiece. It's peanuts. Hiring an unproven Coach like Locks at $750K annually for six years is too much, but Krebs knows what he was doing. The buy-out will be much less.

Hiring Locks was worth a shot....Hot shot recruiter who could take the program in a different direction. He took UNM in a different direction alright...straight down.

[shooti83]

yeah I am sure greg Archuleta would say somthing like this. After all, This is the same person who gets HAND PICKED by UNM admin. to watch a very controversial piece of tape. Later, when the so called tape is destroyed-read hidden- who comes to UNM's aid? No other than Greg Archuleta. If this tape is so innocent, why not show it to the public?
And just as iceing on the cake, our beloved Greg Archleta goes public even more and SUGGESTS-read plants the seed- that UNM will not fire Mike Locksley. How convinient.

[Garishwolf]

OUCH,,,,,,,,,,,,,this cut keeps bleeding.

[UWSLobo]

Archuleta is WRONG. I think the total buy out will be around $900K assuming Coach Locks does not get another job as a HC elsewhere after UNM lets him go and assuming Krebs does not go for the Jugular and try to terminate for cause on moral grounds and other infractions. In the case of the latter two, the buy out could be considerably less than $900K.

$900K is peanuts, and compared to what UNM is losing in terms of revenue under Locks, it makes more sense to let him go than continue the contract.

[NoleBosfan]

Just shown on KOAT. I think Krebs has hamstrung us with Locksley for 3-4 years based on the idiotic contract that he gave Locks.

Oh well, at last Bandito and Nolebosfan can do a big chest bump if they are capable of levitating 3 inches off of the ground.

Maybe Locks can recruit his way out of this mess and fire most of his assistant coaches. Short of that we are back to the Sheppard days and admission to a game for a can of creamed corn.

HAHA I love it! Who would have known that I would be so important to a cyberspace geek that he would start a post just to mention me? Thanks Dig, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
Now about the topic... GOOD! Locks deserves to be here AT LEAST 3 years so we can see HIS players and HIS product on the field year 4! Way to go Krebs! And even if Krebs does let Locks go, well I will feel bad for him as a person, based on how "most" New Mexicans have treated him, I sure hope he takes UNM for every single penny that his contract states. Becuase of the fact that he is STILL one of the best recruiters in the nation, Im not worried at all that he will land on his feet as another top pay assistant...ALL WHILE STICKING IT TO UNM FOR THE MONEY HE IS OWED! Aw it feels good to piss cyber geeks off!!!

[Lobodawg92]

HAHA I love it! Who would have known that I would be so important to a cyberspace geek that he would start a post just to mention me? Thanks Dig, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
Now about the topic... GOOD! Locks deserves to be here AT LEAST 3 years so we can see HIS players and HIS product on the field year 4! Way to go Krebs! And even if Krebs does let Locks go, well I will feel bad for him as a person, based on how "most" New Mexicans have treated him, I sure hope he takes UNM for every single penny that his contract states. Becuase of the fact that he is STILL one of the best recruiters in the nation, Im not worried at all that he will land on his feet as another top pay assistant...ALL WHILE STICKING IT TO UNM FOR THE MONEY HE IS OWED! Aw it feels good to piss cyber geeks off!!!

No, Locks deserved to be fired last year after choking and swinging at his assistant coach. Locks has gotten much more then he deserved.

As far as his players, I think he is going to have a hard time recruiting with all that has happened. I have not followed, but how is our recruiting going?

As far as the program, I just don't understand how you take a decent program and run it completely into the dirt in just 1.25 years.

You don't seem to be wanting what is best for UNM, nor do you seem to be using logic and thought in your posts. Are you sure your not from down south of here?

[UWSLobo]

Actually, the contract is not as bad as people may think. Krebs knows what he is doing. UNM can terminate for convenience and only have to pay Locks the base of $300K each year for the remainder of the contract term (4 years or so plus prorated share of this year) and not the full $750K. And that assumes UNM does not try to terminate for cause on moral or other grounds. Locks will make out with perhaps $900K in a buy out, but depending on how you look at things, it may not be enough compensation to pay for his injured reputation. And if he works again soon as a coach if UNM lets him go, UNM pays just the difference between the $300K and his new salary.

[NoleBosfan]

As far as his players, I think he is going to have a hard time recruiting with all that has happened. I have not followed, but how is our recruiting going?

Well look what he did this past recruiting season AFTER "choking and swinging at his assistant coach" and after he called an old lady "old". He only brought in the highest rating recruiting class UNM has EVER had. So no im not too worried about what he will do as far as recruiting.

You make it sound like a "decent program" was a program that was competing for a conference title year after year and ranked in the top 25 every year. You make is sound like Longs last year here the team went 8-4 and not 4-8. You make it sound like the program was not facing any NCAA violations BEFORE Locksley got here. "Decent"? I suppose, based on New Mexico standards I guess

[Martin]

A good recruiter and a good coach are two different things.

I'd rather have a coach that is getting 1/2 star guys and have our record around .500 than a coach that is going after 3 star guys and can't sniff a 10% winning percentage. Locks has to go. I really don't care about the excuse that these aren't his guys. You're a DI coach, find a way to make it work with what you got.

I'm looking at the leader of a program here, a complete package. Who cares if Locks has the recruiting down. He doesn't have the coaching, gameplans, adjustments, behavior, and respect down. Time to cut our losses. I just hope there was something on that tape that has given us just cause for letting him go. As a lifelong resident of NM and graduate of UNM, I would hate to see this guy get a penny. Who cares if he signed a contract; he has damaged this University too much in his short time here for me to even consider giving the clown a buyout.

[Lobodawg92]

Well look what he did this past recruiting season AFTER "choking and swinging at his assistant coach" and after he called an old lady "old". He only brought in the highest rating recruiting class UNM has EVER had. So no im not too worried about what he will do as far as recruiting.

You make it sound like a "decent program" was a program that was competing for a conference title year after year and ranked in the top 25 every year. You make is sound like Longs last year here the team went 8-4 and not 4-8. You make it sound like the program was not facing any NCAA violations BEFORE Locksley got here. "Decent"? I suppose, based on New Mexico standards I guess

Boy, your telling me the results of great recruiting are that a program actually gets worse? Sorry, but their is no comparison to what was here before Rock left and now. Even that 4-8 year, we were competitive and beat Arizona. Regardless, I don't like the direction the program is headed, on or off the field. You do? I guess that is New Mexico standards!

[LoboLepidop]

I am really confused by everyone's comments that we need to buy Locksley out of his contract. This guy has been an embarassment on and off of the field. It appears to me that there must be some kind of morals clause or other criteria along these lines that would allow the University to let him go for cause. If this is not the case, there should be some sort of performance clause. Last year the local news reported that Alford's contract allowed for bonuses due to achieving : minimum Grade Point Average, winning the MWC, etc. So, my question is, do the coaches receive contracts with incentives/bonuses for exceeding the minimum standards in the contract but not suffer any repercussions if they do not win at least a minimum amount of games or meet other specific criteria that is crucial to the program? If this is how they write these contracts, hey sign me up!

New Mexico- Morals

[Lobodawg92]

Geeze, sorry, I put ASU. It was Arizona! My bad, don't know where my brain was. It has just been so long since we won some games, it is hard to remember who we beat. :-)

[NMFANINOKC]

HAHA I love it! Who would have known that I would be so important to a cyberspace geek that he would start a post just to mention me? Thanks Dig, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
Now about the topic... GOOD! Locks deserves to be here AT LEAST 3 years so we can see HIS players and HIS product on the field year 4! Way to go Krebs! And even if Krebs does let Locks go, well I will feel bad for him as a person, based on how "most" New Mexicans have treated him, I sure hope he takes UNM for every single penny that his contract states. Becuase of the fact that he is STILL one of the best recruiters in the nation, Im not worried at all that he will land on his feet as another top pay assistant...ALL WHILE STICKING IT TO UNM FOR THE MONEY HE IS OWED! Aw it feels good to piss cyber geeks off!!!

Crap, I was hoping you would not find your way here from TRM..

[muyguapo]

Look everyone, Coach Locksley or his paid bozo has found his way here from the land of leeroy. *yAy*

It doesn't matter who's players he puts on the field, he has shown 0 coaching ability. That recruiting classs means squat if you can't win games with it. We are so bad and clueless that putting all of next year's players on the field will make no difference whatsoever. Look at our vaunted D-line recruits......they sure as hell aren't getting the job done. If he won 2 or 3 games next year you would be telling us how the program was on the right track. I'm sure you will keep posting because Locksley pays you well, but it doesn't make the gibberish you post here or on TRM any more intelligent or credible. The man is a lousy coach, period. His staff is a joke. His system is a joke. His playcalling is a joke. His in-game adjustments are a joke. His leadership qualities? Nonexistent, from what we have seen. Locksley is nothing more than a decent recruiter that came in with hype he never really earned and who has now been exposed as a rotten coach. We were a MUCH better program before Locksley arrived.

Well look what he did this past recruiting season AFTER "choking and swinging at his assistant coach" and after he called an old lady "old". He only brought in the highest rating recruiting class UNM has EVER had. So no im not too worried about what he will do as far as recruiting.

You make it sound like a "decent program" was a program that was competing for a conference title year after year and ranked in the top 25 every year. You make is sound like Longs last year here the team went 8-4 and not 4-8. You make it sound like the program was not facing any NCAA violations BEFORE Locksley got here. "Decent"? I suppose, based on New Mexico standards I guess

[SoCalLobo]

For such a great recruiter, his recruitment of assistant coaches has been quite a failure. We are bad is so many areas that we struggle to find something that we do merely okay.