The University of New Mexico men’s basketball fan base probably would have forked over good money to spend time inside this particular room at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
With an array of the heaviest hitters among the state’s high school basketball coaches providing a rapt audience, new Lobo coach Eric Olen was a popular guest speaker at the New Mexico High School Coaches Association’s annual conference.
kAm~G6C E96 4@FCD6 @7 fd >:?FE6D @? uC:52J >@C?:?8[ E96 62DJ8@:?8 ~=6? DA@<6 2E =6?8E9 2?5 :? 56E2:= 23@FE 9@H E96 {@3@ >6? 2C6 8@:?8 E@ =@@< 4@>6 ?6IE D62D@?[ @FE=:?:?8 >2?J @7 E96 DA64:7:4 @776?D:G6 4@?46AED &}| H:== 762EFC6 :? E96 ~=6? 6C2]k^Am
kAmq@EE@> =:?6[ E96 {@3@D 6IA64E E@ 36 @?6 @7 E96 9:896DE\D4@C:?8 E62>D :? E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAm“p =@E @7 E9:D DEF77 4@>6D 7C@> tFC@A6[ 36=:6G6 :E @C ?@E[” D2:5 '@=42?@ ':DE2’D vC68 qC@H?[ 4@249 @7 E96 7@FC\E:>6 5676?5:?8 r=2DD dp 3@JD DE2E6 492>A:@?D] “xE’D tFC@A62?\DEJ=6 32D<6E32==] %96 A246[ E96 DA24:?8[ 2?5 =:<6[ E96 }qp ?@H :D =62?:?8 E@H2C5 E9:D DEJ=6 @7 A=2J] xE’D 8@??2 36 7F? E@ H2E49] xE’== 92G6 2 ?:46 7=@H E@ E96 82>6]”k^Am
kAmp ?62C DE2?5:?8\C@@>\@?=J 8C@FA @7 C@F89=J a__ 4@2496D 962C5 ~=6? C6A62E65=J DEC6DD E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 &}| H:??:?8 E96 A@:?ED\A6C\A@DD6DD:@? >6EC:4]k^Am
kAmw6 5:D4FDD65 9@H E96 {@3@D H:== 2EE24< DA246] w6 :==FDEC2E65 E96:C G2C:6EJ @7 32== D4C66?D] w6 E2=<65 23@FE E96 ?646DD:EJ @7 C:> AC6DDFC6 7C@> &}|’D 8F2C5D 2?5 @776?D:G6 2?5 5676?D:G6 C63@F?5:?8 A6C46?E286D A6C >:?FE6D A=2J65]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F H6C6 :?E@ 2?2=JE:4D[ E9:D H2D >@DE 46CE2:?=J E96 A=246 E@ 36[ 2?5 :E @776C65 2 C2C6 492?46 7@C 2 =2C86 ?F>36C @7 2=C625J 244@>A=:D965 }6H |6I:4@ AC6A 4@2496D E@ 364@>6 DEF56?ED]k^Am
kAm'@=42?@’D qC@H? H2D @?6 @7 2 92?57F= @7 >F=E:A=6\E:>6 DE2E6 492>A:@? 4@2496D :? E96 C@@> 2D ~=6?[ H:E9 E96 96=A @7 D=:56D 2?5 G:56@[ 56D4C:365 2?5 G:DF2=:K65 &}| 4@?46AED]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 2? @FEDE2?5:?8 DA62<6C[ 2?5 96 9:E D@>6 DA@ED 2?5 3C@F89E FA D@>6 8@@5 A@:?ED E92E x 5:5?’E 6G6? E9:?< 23@FE[” w@33D 8:C=D 4@249 y@6 r2CA6?E6C D2:5] r2CA6?E6C E@@< 4@A:@FD ?@E6D E9C@F89@FE ~=6?’D 2AA62C2?46] “(6 CF? D:>:=2C:E:6D E@ H92E 96 CF?D[ 2?5 96 82G6 FD 2 76H 5:776C6?E 24E:@?D[ 2?5 x E9:?< E92E H:== :>AC@G6 @FC E62>]”k^Am
kAmxE :D @3G:@FD &}| 2?5 ~=6? H:== 36 2 9:89\D4@C:?8 3F?49[ 2?5 E96 ?6H {@3@ =6256C =2:5 @FE D@>6 @7 E96 32D:4 E6?6ED @7 9:D 3=F6AC:?E H:E9 2 9:?E @7 D6=7\56AC642E:?8 9F>@C]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 8@??2 DA246 E96 7=@@C] %92E’D 2 A2E9 E@ 36:?8 677:4:6?E @776?D:G6=J[” 96 E@=5 E96 4@2496D]k^Am
kAmp?5 96 C6:E6C2E65 H92E 96’D 2=C625J D2:5 D:?46 36:?8 9:C65i %9:D {@3@ E62> :D 8@:?8 E@ =2F?49 b\A@:?E6CD] ~7E6?]k^Am
kAm“w6 92D 2 >6E9@5 E@ 9:D >25?6DD[” w:89=2?5 8:C=D 4@249 {@??:6 }62= D2:5] “x E9:?< 96’D 8@??2 36 8C62E] ~FC 72?D[ E96J =@G6 @776?D6]”k^Am
kAmp?5 E96 DE2E6’D 4@2496D H6C6 :>AC6DD65 3J E96 ?6H4@>6C]k^Am
kAm“w6’D H2?E:?8 E@ 8:G6 324< E@ E96 4@2496D @7 }6H |6I:4@[ 2?5 E92E’D E96 4@@= A2CE[” =@?8E:>6 t=5@C25@ 3@JD 4@249 #@J $2?496K D2:5[ 2?5 96 2=D@ 649@65 '@=42?@ ':DE2’D qC@H?’D E9@F89ED @? ~=6?’D @776?D:G6 D496>6D]k^Am
kAm“w:D @776?D6 :D E96 H2G6 @7 E96 7FEFC6[” $2?496K D2:5] “u:G6 @FE[ ?@ C62= A6C>2?6?E A@DE 8FJD A=2J:?8 7C66 32D<6E32==[ ?@E 2 =@E @7 D6E A=2JD]”k^Am
kAmp?5 E9:D A@:?E[ ~=6? >256 4=62Ci w6 AC676CD E@ =2J E96 4@?46AEF2= 8C@F?5H@C< 2?5 E96? D6E 9:D A=2J6CD =@@D6 H:E9:? E92E 7C2>6H@C< 5FC:?8 2 82>6]k^Am
kAm“xE’D ?@E 32D65 @? 8@:?8 7C@> !@:?E p E@ !@:?E q[ 2?5 36:?8 D@ C:8:5[” $2?5:2 !C6A 3@JD 4@249 s2>:2? $68FC2 D2:5] “w6 8:G6D A=2J6CD E96 7C665@> E@ >2<6 564:D:@?D H:E9:? 2 DECF4EFC6] %92E’D H96? J@F 86E E96 36DE C6DF=ED[ H96? E96 A=2J6CD 92G6 @H?6CD9:A]”k^Am
kAm$68FC2[ =:<6 >@DE[ 7@F?5 ~=6?’D AC6D6?E2E:@? 4@>A6==:?8]k^Am
kAm“xE’D ?@E ;FDE AC65:42E65 @? 86EE:?8 E96 36DE A=2J6CD[ 3FE 3F:=5:?8 2 AC@8C2> H:E9 DFDE2:?65 4@?46AED 2?5 7F?52>6?E2=D 2?5 36:?8 23=6 E@ 3F:=5 E92E 7C@> E96 8C@F?5 FA[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm~=6?’D 2AAC@249 925 D@>6E9:?8 6=D6 4@2496D 7@F?5 2AA62=:?8]k^Am
kAm“w6’D 2 C62= 8FJ[” qC@H? D2:5] “{:<6[ J@F 42? 4@??64E H:E9 9:>] w:D 9F>:=:EJ :D C67C6D9:?8] p?5 J@F 42? E6== 96’D 2 32D<6E32== 8FJ] w6 <?@HD 9@H E@ 4@>>F?:42E6[ 96 <?@HD 9@H E@ E6249] w6’D AC6EEJ DE6A\3J\DE6A @C:6?E65]”k^Am
kAm~=6? 27E6CH2C5 D2:5 A2CE @7 E96 EC2?D:E:@? 7C@> 4@249:?8 2E E96 &r $2? s:68@ E@ >@G:?8 E@ p=3FBF6CBF6 :D ?6EH@C<:?8[ H9:49 H2D A2CE=J H92E uC:52J H2D 2=D@ 23@FE]k^Am
kAm“w@?6DE=J[ x H2D 6I4:E65 E@ 36 96C6 2?5 >66E D@>6 @7 E96 4@2496D[ 2?5 92G6 E96> 962C 23@FE 9@H H6 E9:?< 23@FE W32D<6E32==X[” 96 D2:5] “p?5 ECJ E@ 56G6=@A D@>6 C6=2E:@?D9:AD]”k^Am
