LOVE OF THE GAME AND EACH OTHER
UNM assistants engaged, now just awaiting a date
Two University of New Mexico coaches met last August, and now they are engaged.
Athletic department staff meetings don’t often move the emotional needle for coaches.
There can be exceptions. Neither Brandon Higelin nor Valerie King showed up for last August’s annual University of New Mexico back-to-school meeting expecting it to be memorable. As things turned out, it was where they met.
Less than a year later, the two UNM coaches are engaged to be married. Higelin, pitching coach for Lobo baseball, and King, the school’s top women’s basketball assistant, made it official last month. Higelin popped the question on July 25, and King happily accepted.
Both laughed when asked about their first introduction.
“Best staff meeting ever!” Higelin said. Higelin and King certainly qualify as a match made in Loboland, as only their jobs brought put them on one another’s radar. Higelin is a California native with family and baseball roots on the West Coast. King grew up in Ohio and remained in the Midwest through her basketball playing and early coaching careers.
Coaching brought them both to Albuquerque. King joined longtime mentor Mike Bradbury when he moved to UNM from Wright State in 2016, and Higelin signed on to Ray Birmingham’s baseball staff after the 2018 season.
Their paths never crossed until that fateful staff meeting.
“After that day we just started hanging out together,” King said. “He’s got a great personality, and what you see is what you get with him. It doesn’t hurt that we have similar jobs and so much in common, though. We kind of understand each other’s lives.”
Higelin and King share competitive natures, too. Higelin played college baseball at Cal State Los Angeles and spent four years in the San Diego Padres organization before turning to coaching. King was named to Conference USA’s All-Decade team after amassing 2,156 points and 338 3-pointers as a fouryear starter at Cincinnati. She signed as a free agent with the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs and played briefly as a professional before moving to coaching.
As one might expect, sports have a place in their relationship — both playing and watching.
“We play tennis and a little one-onone basketball,” Higelin said. “We’re both very competitive, though, which is why I stay away from playing her in ‘HORSE’. I’ve got no chance there.”
There seems to be no debate about who is the better athlete.
“Val is,” Higelin said without hesitation.
King laughed but did not disagree. “Yeah, I’m probably the better athlete,” she said. “Brandon’s more of a Jack-of-all-trades who’s good at a lot of things.”
Higelin also had much to learn as the couple’s relationship evolved. He became a regular at UNM women’s basketball home games last season, admitting he knew little about the sport previously.
“I’ve learned a lot and I’m still learning,” he said. “That’s been fun.”
King grew up around baseball, attending Cincinnati Reds games and watching her brother play. Still, she’s gaining more appreciation for some of the game’s nuances these days.
“I went to UNM games before the (2020) season was canceled,” she said. “I wouldn’t normally watch many baseball games on TV, but I’ll watch them with Brandon.”
Higelin and King admit the past few months have been strange as coronavirus restrictions have drastically curtailed their coaching duties. It has allowed them more personal time, however, which helped lead to Higelin’s proposal.
“I was nervous and she was surprised,” Higelin said, “but when she said yes, it turned out to be a wonderful day.”
No date has been confirmed as the couple plans to delay their wedding until pandemic travel restrictions are lifted and family members can attend. Nor have they decided where the ceremony will be held, but Higelin and King agree their family will have Lobo ties.
“No question about it,” Higelin said. “We met here, we have Lobo ties and hopefully there will be Lobo baby at some point. We’ll see what the future brings.”