DAILY LOBO new mexico
Ill-seeded see page 6
November 18, 2011
friday
The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
Davie costs $1.5 million
New coach was ESPN analyst, head coach of Notre Dame by Nathan Farmer
sports@dailylobo.com Football’s new head coach Bob Davie said he’s excited about his future at UNM despite the Lobos’ losing season. “I can honestly stand here and tell you right here at this moment I am more excited and comfortable then I have ever been,” he said. “I think this can be a great job.” A committee selected Davie to position after a nationwide search led by Vice President of Athletics Paul Krebs. Krebs said the selection process was intensive and time-consuming because the University wanted a new football coach before the current season was over. “We talked about someone with coaching experience and ties to this region and someone that is an outstanding leader,” Krebs said. “I think as we go through today you will see that coach Davie fills all of those.”
Davie signed a six-year contract and will be paid $700,000 for his first season. Davie will then be paid $760,000 total for the remaining five years. The contract also includes a number of incentives to be named later. President David Schmidly said he knew Davie from his time as a faculty member at Texas A&M, and he said Davie was the right person for the job. “I was absolutely elated when I got the phone call from Paul and he said we want to bring coach Davie here,” Schmidly said. “We are absolutely convinced he is the man for the job. I am really looking forward to the future of Lobo football and a great choice has been made.” Davie’s only previous head coaching job was at Notre Dame from 1997-2001, where his overall record was 35-25. He has been an analyst for ESPN for the past 10 years but he said he used his time away from coaching
Program helps an extra .1% graduate by Jessica Hitch jehitch@unm.edu
UNM’s six-year graduation rate sits well below the national average, but UNM officials said thanks to a new federal program the University has already seen graduation rate statistics improve. At UNM, an average of 45 percent of undergraduate students graduate within six years. Nationally, an average of 55 percent of undergraduate students graduate within six years. Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, director of academic student success, said improving graduation rates is important in New Mexico because it could help improve the state’s poor economy. “New Mexico is considered the second-poorest state in the nation, so it’s important for people in our institute of higher education to help graduate students so they can get out into the workforce and contribute to our economy,” she said. “These students are going to be our business owners and our next leaders, so there’s a lot at stake for our state by us raising those graduate rates.” Gomez-Chavez said an improved graduation rate benefits the University as well because UNM receives state funding based on completion rates rather than enrollment rates. The Graduation Express program began in July 2010 with a Title V funding grant. President Obama set
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 116
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a goal for the U.S. to have the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020, and federal funding mechanisms have changed to advance that goal, according to the White House website. The program includes designated Graduation Express advisers in each academic college who act as both academic advisers and graduation advisers. Holly Meyer, Graduation Express adviser, said the program has improved UNM’s graduation rates. She said Graduation Express’s goal was to have 46 percent of UNM students who enrolled at the University in 2005 graduate by August 2011. The actual rate came in at 45.1 percent, which Meyer said was good. “The program is still in its infancy and development, but we’ve seen measurable progress through the last year,” she said. “The graduation rate is a significant indicator of how far we’ve come and how much more successful this program is going to be once it starts to be more developed.” Graduation rates are especially low for students who are African American, Hispanic, older, or poor, according to Complete College America, a national nonprofit organization working to increase national graduation rates. Gomez-Chavez said Graduation Express has successfully increased
see Graduation PAGE 2
Juan Labreche/ Daily Lobo Bob Davie is introduced to the media as the new head football coach at UNM during a press conference yesterday. Davie takes over the Lobo program at the end of this season, becoming UNM’s 31st head football coach. to learn the best techniques. “The biggest advantage I have being out ten years is I have gone around this country every week, and I have experienced from the inside what makes all of these programs successful and what makes
other problems have no chance to be successful,” he said. Davie said he has learned from what the best coaches around the country do to make their programs successful, and he plans in place to do the same at UNM.
“I know my plan will work if we give it time,” he said. “I look at being out the last ten years as my biggest advantage I have because I have a whole different perspective on what college football is, and my role as a head football coach.”
SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT
AP Photo In a Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 photo, Nola Ochs of Jetmore, Kansas, celebrates her 100th birthday with friends, family, and cake during halftime of the FHSU men’s basketball game at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kansas. See page 2 for story.
UNM better by default
Lobo win blocked
See page 4
See page 3
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