On a blustery spring day in Albuquerque, where dust storms obscured views of the Sandia Mountains, Eric Olen was introduced Tuesday as the University of New Mexico’s head men’s basketball coach to mark the beginning of a new era after a whirlwind end to March for the program.
Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron share their initial impressions of the new face on campus and the work Olen has in front of him in the latest episode of “The New Mexican Sports Den.”
The guys talk about Olen’s background and what it took for him to guide the University of California, San Diego program from Division II basketball to the NCAA Division I Tournament. He’ll have a lot more heavy lifting to do as he looks to hire a coaching staff and rebuild the Lobos’ roster. Will and James discuss the expectations Olen will face and whether some of the Lobos who entered the transfer portal may return to the program.

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