Eric Olen agrees to new five-year contract with New Mexico

New Mexico basketball plucked away Eric Olen to replace Richard Pitino one year ago. The Lobos made sure the former UC San Diego head coach is staying put on Monday.

Olen and the Mountain West Conference university agreed to a new five-year contract, per ESPN college basketball insider Pete Thamel. This moves becomes a reward for leading NMU to 26 victories in season one together.

New Mexico unfortunately missed the field of 68 cut, eventually settling on the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Still, Olen proved he could win in a far more competitive MWC compared to the Big West.

He could earn a chance to head back to his second March Madness in three seasons, amid the tournament nearing a 76-team expansion for next season. The proposal impacts conferences across the nation and not limited to the ones representing the Power Four.

Olen also heads back to a far different MWC for next season. The conference will lose annual heavyweight San Diego State, reigning champ Utah State, plus Boise State, Colorado State and Fresno State to the all-new Pac-12. Texas State out of the Sun Belt plus longtime West Coast Conference power Gonzaga joins the Pac-12 too.

So who will Olen gameplan against plus out-recruit on the College Basketball Recruiting trail within the MWC?

Teams like UNLV, Wyoming, Nevada, plus new rival Grand Canyon University remain. But the conference will welcome Texas-El Paso (UTEP) into the fold, with the Miners leaving Conference USA.

Olen owns a 266-130 overall record as a head coach, including leading UC San Diego when the program played at the NCAA Division II level.

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