Santa Fe New Mexican sports scribe James Barron is turning 50 as the calendar turns to 2026 and his birthday wish is to one day see successful coaches and administrators at his alma mater stick around for a while.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Barron and University of New Mexico beat writer Will Webber discuss the latest departure from Albuquerque as 37-year-old athletic director Fernando Lovo heads to Colorado after an eventful 13-month stint at UNM.

Will and James talk about the big decisions Lovo had to make in his short time in charge of Lobo athletics, including the hiring of Jason Eck as head football coach and Eric Olen as the men’s basketball coach. Eck went on to become Mountain West coach of the year as the football team’s success ignited a dormant fan base.

The guys touch on why it’s tough for UNM to keep successful coaches and administrators, and share their thoughts on what Lovo is getting into as he heads to Boulder, where Deion Sanders’ presence looms large.

Will and James also share some of their most memorable moments from 2025 and take a look at the local prep hoops scene.

Santa Fe New Mexican&nbsp;sports scribe James Barron is turning 50 as the calendar turns to 2026 and his birthday wish is to one day see successful coaches and administrators at his alma mater stick around for a while.
In the latest episode of &ldquo;The Sports Den&rdquo; podcast, Barron and&nbsp;University of New Mexico beat writer Will Webber discuss the latest departure from Albuquerque as 37-year-old athletic director Fernando Lovo heads to Colorado after an eventful 13-month stint at UNM.
Will and James talk about the big decisions Lovo had to make in his short time in charge of Lobo athletics, including the hiring of Jason Eck as head football coach and Eric Olen as the men&rsquo;s basketball coach. Eck went on to become Mountain West coach of the year as the football team&rsquo;s success ignited a dormant fan base.
The guys touch on why it&rsquo;s tough for UNM to keep successful coaches and administrators, and share their thoughts on what Lovo is getting into as he heads to Boulder, where Deion Sanders&rsquo; presence looms large.
Will and James also share some of their most memorable moments from 2025 and take a look at the local prep hoops scene.

Hosted by award-winning sports scribes Will Webber and James Barron, The New Mexican Sports Den podcast provides coverage of the local sports scene in Northern New Mexico with a focus on prep sports and the University of New Mexico Lobos. Dialed into the New Mexico sports landscape for decades, Will and James share their insight on the latest developments from season to season. They also welcome guests for lively and colorful conversations.   
The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James is a production of The Santa Fe New Mexican.

Hosted by award-winning sports scribes Will Webber and James Barron, The New Mexican Sports Den podcast provides coverage of the local sports scene in Northern New Mexico with a focus on prep sports and the University of New Mexico Lobos. Dialed into the New Mexico sports landscape for decades, Will and James share their insight on the latest developments from season to season. They also welcome guests for lively and colorful conversations.&nbsp;&nbsp; The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James is a production of&nbsp;The Santa Fe New Mexican.

The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James

Hosted by award-winning sports scribes Will Webber and James Barron, The New Mexican Sports Den podcast provides coverage of the local sports scene in Northern New Mexico with a focus on prep sports and the University of New Mexico Lobos. Dialed into the New Mexico sports landscape for decades, Will and James share their insight on the latest developments from season to season. They also welcome guests for lively and colorful conversations.  

The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James is a production of The Santa Fe New Mexican.

Hosted by award-winning sports scribes Will Webber and James Barron, The New Mexican Sports Den podcast provides coverage of the local sports scene in Northern New Mexico with a focus on prep sports and the University of New Mexico Lobos. Dialed into the New Mexico sports landscape for decades, Will and James share their insight on the latest developments from season to season. They also welcome guests for lively and colorful conversations.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The New Mexican Sports Den with Will and James is a production of&nbsp;The Santa Fe New Mexican.

Will and James reflect on Fernando Lovo’s short but eventful stint at UNM as he heads to Colorado

It’s the dog days of winter, prep basketball teams are entering district play, and at least one of The New Mexican’s sports writers is distracting himself with random bits of news until the blissful arrival of postseason hoops.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Will Webber and James Barron review the latest developments that have caught their eye in the local high school basketball scene, touch on the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team’s upcoming games and talk about the Santa Fe Fuego’s new manager.

James says the St. Michael’s boys are “hands down the team to beat” in Class 3A, rising above Santa Fe Indian School and Navajo Prep in his mind. In 2A, the guys say there’s probably a five-team race involving Texico, Mesa Vista, Pecos, Santa Rosa and Escalante.

Will keeps turning the discussion to the Fuego, because who can get enough Pecos League baseball talk in January? Along with welcoming the team’s new manager, Will launches his campaign to be the Fuego’s play-by-play announcer in 2026.

Will also brings attention to the University of Illinois’ gargantuan new video board, which stretches 250 feet wide and 69 feet tall. He makes a plea to local teams to up their video board game.

It&rsquo;s the dog days of winter, prep basketball teams are entering district play, and at least one of&nbsp;The New Mexican&rsquo;s&nbsp;sports writers is distracting himself with random bits of news until the blissful arrival of postseason hoops.
In the latest episode of &ldquo;The Sports Den&rdquo; podcast, Will Webber and James Barron review the latest developments that have caught their eye in the local high school basketball scene, touch on the University of New Mexico men&rsquo;s basketball team&rsquo;s upcoming games and talk about the Santa Fe Fuego&rsquo;s new manager.
James says the St. Michael&rsquo;s boys are &ldquo;hands down the team to beat&rdquo; in Class 3A, rising above Santa Fe Indian School and Navajo Prep in his mind. In 2A, the guys say there&rsquo;s probably a five-team race involving Texico, Mesa Vista, Pecos, Santa Rosa and Escalante.
Will keeps turning the discussion to the Fuego, because who can get enough Pecos League baseball talk in January? Along with welcoming the team&rsquo;s new manager, Will launches his campaign to be the Fuego&rsquo;s play-by-play announcer in 2026.
Will also brings attention to the University of Illinois&rsquo; gargantuan new video board, which stretches 250 feet wide and 69 feet tall. He makes a plea to local teams to up their video board game.

James calls the St. Mike’s boys the team to beat in Class 3A; Will wants to call Fuego games

A big week of regular season tournaments is in the books and we’re getting a clearer picture of the contenders as teams head into the second half of the season.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron offer their observations of what they’ve seen so far for boys and girls teams across classes.

Among the topics of conversation, the guys discuss how St. Michael’s, Santa Fe Indian School and Navajo Prep are looking like they could be battling among each other a trophy in Class 3A, while Pecos made a statement in the Northern Rio Grande Tournament and looks to be a top two or three team in Class 2A. James also talks about what he’s seen from Santa Fe High.

On the girls’ side, the guys go over some area teams including Santa Fe High, Robertson, Santa Fe Indian School and Mesa Vista.

A big week of regular season tournaments is in the books and we&rsquo;re getting a clearer picture of the contenders as teams head into the second half of the season.
In the latest episode of &ldquo;The Sports Den&rdquo; podcast,&nbsp;Santa Fe New Mexican&nbsp;sports writers Will Webber and James Barron offer their observations of what they&rsquo;ve seen so far for boys and girls teams across classes.
Among the topics of conversation, the guys discuss how St. Michael&rsquo;s, Santa Fe Indian School and Navajo Prep are looking like they could be battling among each other a trophy in Class 3A, while Pecos made a statement in the Northern Rio Grande Tournament and looks to be a top two or three team in Class 2A. James also talks about what he&rsquo;s seen from Santa Fe High.
On the girls&rsquo; side, the guys go over some area teams including Santa Fe High, Robertson, Santa Fe Indian School and Mesa Vista.

Will and James offer a Northern New Mexico prep hoops breakdown at the midway point of the season

The high school basketball regular season revs up this week with big tournaments around the region. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron offer an overview of the action and highlight the matchups to watch.

James discusses the Jason Abeyta Memorial Tournament at Santa Fe Indian School, the St. Michael’s Shootout and the Northern Rio Grande Tournament at Española Valley. The NRG showcases some of the area’s top Class 2A schools and brings the possibility of a Pecos-Mesa Vista battle in the boys tournament.

In the second segment, the guys make some NFL playoff predictions before discussing the athletic director opening at the University of New Mexico following the departure of Fernando Lovo to Colorado. Will shares his thoughts on interim AD Ryan Berryman, a 32-year-old graduate of UNM and East Mountain High School, and advocates for a youth movement for the department.

The high school basketball regular season revs up this week with big tournaments around the region. In the latest episode of &ldquo;The Sports Den&rdquo; podcast,&nbsp;Santa Fe New Mexican&nbsp;sports writers Will Webber and James Barron offer an overview of the action and highlight the matchups to watch.
James discusses the Jason Abeyta Memorial Tournament at Santa Fe Indian School, the St. Michael&rsquo;s Shootout and the Northern Rio Grande Tournament at Espa&ntilde;ola Valley. The NRG showcases some of the area&rsquo;s top Class 2A schools and brings the possibility of a Pecos-Mesa Vista battle in the boys tournament.
In the second segment, the guys make some NFL playoff predictions before discussing the athletic director opening at the University of New Mexico following the departure of Fernando Lovo to Colorado. Will shares his thoughts on interim AD Ryan Berryman, a 32-year-old graduate of UNM and East Mountain High School, and advocates for a youth movement for the department.

Will and James reflect on Fernando Lovo’s short but eventful stint at UNM as he heads to Colorado

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