Davie set to return from suspension
All’s usually quiet on The University of New Mexico’s south campus on Sundays.
The exception comes on this day when the school’s head football coach returns to work for the first time in a month. Allowed back in the Lobo football facility for the first time since his appeal over an unpaid 30-day suspension was denied in mid-March, Bob Davie is back on the UNM payroll as of Sunday morning.
He was placed on leave after a monthslong investigation found him accountable for detrimental conduct that ranged from interfering with legal matters regarding players to racially charged language and intimidating behavior toward his players and staff.
Davie’s base salary calls for a monthly payment of $35,224.17, which is essentially doubled after other clauses in his contract boost his pay to more than $70,000 a month. He forfeited that money during his forced time off.
His minimum annual salary is $822,690 with incentives pushing that total as high as $1.14 million.
UNM athletic director Eddie Nunez was asked for comment about Davie’s return. He replied with a text message on Saturday that read, simply, “Sorry but I have no comment at this point. I can follow up on Monday when he returns.”
A university official said there are no immediate plans to have Davie address his suspension, let alone have him make himself available to the media.
The Lobos wrapped up their annual spring practices on March 3 without Davie. He was originally suspended by former interim President Chaouki Abdullah on Feb. 8 when three investigations revealed his misconduct. Although he was not found to be guilty of certain accusations raised by former players in official complaints made to the school following the 2016 season, Davie was found to be at fault by Abdullah and put on unpaid leave.
Davie appealed the suspension, allowing him to remain with the team for another week as it began its spring practices. At the time, he did not answer specific questions about the school’s impending disciplinary action or field questions about the appeal that was formally turned down a week later by the school’s board of regents.
Nunez announced Feb. 16 that Davie’s suspension would begin in earnest at that point and last 30 days.