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

The rims may be the same height at Hinkle Fieldhouse as they are at The Pit, but they weren’t kind to the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team Thursday as a rough shooting night from 3-point land bit the Lobos in a 74-69 loss to Tulsa in the National Invitation Tournament semifinals in Indianapolis.

In a postgame edition of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican Lobos beat writer Will Webber reports from Hinkle after visiting UNM's locker room to provide the reaction from players and coaches and break down what went wrong against the Golden Hurricane.

Webber and colleague James Barron share their thoughts on the team’s first season under head coach Eric Olen, which ended with a 26-11 mark. They then talk about the team’s uncertain future and Will offers his opinion on the likelihood of Olen, Jake Hall and Uriah Tenette returning next year.

The rims may be the same height at Hinkle Fieldhouse as they are at The Pit, but they weren&rsquo;t kind to the University of New Mexico men&rsquo;s basketball team Thursday as a rough shooting night from 3-point land bit the Lobos in a 74-69 loss to Tulsa in the National Invitation Tournament semifinals in Indianapolis.
In a postgame edition of &ldquo;The Sports Den&rdquo; podcast,&nbsp;Santa Fe New Mexican&nbsp;Lobos beat writer Will Webber reports from Hinkle after visiting UNM's locker room to provide the reaction from players and coaches and break down what went wrong against the Golden Hurricane.
Webber and colleague James Barron share their thoughts on the team&rsquo;s first season under head coach Eric Olen, which ended with a 26-11 mark. They then talk about the team&rsquo;s uncertain future and Will offers his opinion on the likelihood of Olen, Jake Hall and Uriah Tenette returning next year.

Lobos stumble vs. Tulsa in NIT Final Four; Will and James discuss UNM’s uncertain future

Santa Fe New Mexican Lobos beat writer Will Webber is about to live out a sports writer’s dream by experiencing college basketball euphoria in Indianapolis, where the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III and NIT men’s Final Fours will play out in the next handful of days, but is the highlight of his epic road trip from Albuquerque to the Hoosier state already in the rearview mirror?

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Webber reports from his driver’s seat during a brief stop in Tulsa to share with listeners his newly discovered passion for Buc-ee’s after a life-changing visit to a location in Amarillo. He also spends some time talking about the UNM men’s basketball team, which has trounced its competition to reach the NIT Final Four and will take on Tulsa Thursday.

Will and fellow Santa Fe New Mexican sports writer James Barron discuss the opportunity for the UNM program, which has never won a postseason event outside of the conference tournament. While some teams that miss the NCAA Tournament skip the NIT, coach Eric Olen and the Lobos have clearly been locked in.

The guys talk about how this is likely the last time much of this group will play together, though they think there’s a good chance Olen and a couple of key players will return next season.

For more from The New Mexican's sports guys, sign up for their "In the Huddle" newsletter at https://santafenewmexican.com/huddle.

Santa Fe New Mexican&nbsp;Lobos beat writer Will Webber is about to live out a sports writer&rsquo;s dream by experiencing college basketball euphoria in Indianapolis, where the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III and NIT men&rsquo;s Final Fours will play out in the next handful of days, but is the highlight of his epic road trip from Albuquerque to the Hoosier state already in the rearview mirror?
In the latest episode of &ldquo;The Sports Den&rdquo; podcast, Webber reports from his driver&rsquo;s seat during a brief stop in Tulsa to share with listeners his newly discovered passion for Buc-ee&rsquo;s after a life-changing visit to a location in Amarillo. He also spends some time talking about the UNM men&rsquo;s basketball team, which has trounced its competition to reach the NIT Final Four and will take on Tulsa Thursday.
Will and fellow&nbsp;Santa Fe New Mexican&nbsp;sports writer James Barron discuss the opportunity for the UNM program, which has never won a postseason event outside of the conference tournament. While some teams that miss the NCAA Tournament skip the NIT, coach Eric Olen and the Lobos have clearly been locked in.
The guys talk about how this is likely the last time much of this group will play together, though they think there&rsquo;s a good chance Olen and a couple of key players will return next season.
For more from The New Mexican's sports guys, sign up for their "In the Huddle" newsletter at https://santafenewmexican.com/huddle.

The road to Indianapolis: Will becomes a Buc-ee's disciple, talks Lobos on his way to NIT Final Four

They just missed out on the Big Dance but the Lobos have been having fun at home while routing their first two opponents in the National Invitation Tournament.

In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron discuss the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team’s NIT run heading into Tuesday night’s quarterfinal matchup against Saint Joseph’s.

The guys talk about the lively atmosphere at The Pit and what may lie ahead with the semifinals and finals in Indianapolis.

In the second segment, James shares his experience at the state spirit championships over the weekend. Will and James then chat a bit about prep baseball and other spring sports, which are already off and running.

They just missed out on the Big Dance but the Lobos have been having fun at home while routing their first two opponents in the National Invitation Tournament.
In the latest episode of &ldquo;The Sports Den&rdquo; podcast, Santa Fe New Mexican sports writers Will Webber and James Barron discuss the University of New Mexico men&rsquo;s basketball team&rsquo;s NIT run heading into Tuesday night&rsquo;s quarterfinal matchup against Saint Joseph&rsquo;s.
The guys talk about the lively atmosphere at The Pit and what may lie ahead with the semifinals and finals in Indianapolis.
In the second segment, James shares his experience at the state spirit championships over the weekend. Will and James then chat a bit about prep baseball and other spring sports, which are already off and running.

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

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