UNM’s Danny Gonzales says he has received other coaching offers
2 schools wanted him as ‘D’ coordinator
A first-year coach winning two straight games to close out a tumultuous season that included needing to move to Las Vegas, Nevada, just to practice apparently caught the eye of other college football teams wanting to bring in a new defensive coordinator.
Two teams offered University of New Mexico coach Danny Gonzales a defensive coordinator position, Gonzales told the Journal on Saturday.
The teams were willing to additionally pay what Gonzales would owe UNM for leaving, which would have been $2 million, but Gonzales said he wants to remain as coach of the Lobos.
He would not identify the teams that made the offer.
“I love New Mexico,” said Gonzales, who grew up in Albuquerque, playing football at Valley High and UNM, where he was also an assistant coach. “I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
Gonzales said he would have made significantly more than he does at UNM with those offers,
“but that’s not important.”
“The support of the administration, what Eddie (Nuñez) has done, I’m so happy to be here,’ Gonzales said. “I’m excited to be the head coach of New Mexico. It’s a great honor.”
Gonzales signed a five-year contract to coach at his alma mater in December of 2019 for $700,000 per year ($300,000 of that for media obligations and promoting the program).
He would have to pay $2 million to UNM if he were to leave the program in the first year, $1.6 million in the second year, $900,000 in the third year and $400,000 in the fourth year.
“When I asked Danny to be our coach, I knew he would bring integrity, excitement, leadership, the work ethic and the presence in our community to our team that we all expected,” Nuñez said. “Success is possible at UNM because of the alignment between President Garnett Stokes, the administration, Danny, myself and all our head coaches. Danny is building a special program for New Mexico, and I’m excited for the future.”
Teams were showing interest in Gonzales shortly after the Lobos finished the season 2-5, winning the final two games with walk-on quarterback Isaiah Chavez, who began the year fifth on the depth chart.
UNM relocated to Las Vegas after losing to eventual Mountain West Conference champion San Jose State, 38-21, and stayed in Nevada for six weeks due to the COVID-19 public health order guidelines in New Mexico that would not allow for the Lobos to practice or compete in Albuquerque.
UNM lost its first four games after relocating to Las Vegas, usually the time designated for a preseason camp. The Lobos then beat double-digit favorites Wyoming and Fresno State to close out the season.