WNMU women’s coach loves shooters
Ex-Mustangs standout has same philosophy he had as a player
Matt Enriquez once prowled the Western New Mexico basketball court, confident in any shot he took.
These days he works the WNMU sidelines, having been hired midseason on an interim basis to coach the Mustangs women’s team. But his basketball mindset remains the same.
“I like to take my playing mentality I had into my coaching philosophy,” Enriquez said.
Which is to say: You can’t score if you don’t shoot.
Enriquez, a 2006 WNMU grad, once hit 40 points in a game against rival New Mexico Highlands. In his four-year career, he had 1,591 points (15.2 ppg) with 197 3-pointers.
So he was smiling last week when Valley High grad Jordan Gutierrez scored 29 points, including 7-of-11 from 3-point range in a 71-60 loss at CSU Pueblo (13-2, 8-1 RMAC).
“I love shooters,” Enriquez said. “Jordan is a shooter. I want to reassure our players that it’s OK to shoot, to have confidence in your shot. Jordan’s game the other night was a perfect example. I want to instill that confidence in our other players.”
Enriquez, who served as an assistant with the WNMU men’s program for 10 seasons, has been in charge of the women’s program since Dec. 28. Former coach Rusty Kennedy left to become athletic director at Midway University in Kentucky. Enriquez was with the men in South Dakota when WNMU athletic director Mark Coleman called to ask whether he wanted to serve as interim head coach of the women.
The El Paso native took a couple of hours to talk with his wife, but was pretty sure from the start he wanted the opportunity.
“Being a head coach is a dream of mine,” Enriquez said. “I’m excited about it. But it definitely caught me by surprise.”
He said other than the speed of the game, there is not much difference in coaching men and women.
His first task was to build a bridge from Kennedy’s program to his.
“Obviously there was an initial shock,” Enriquez said. “Then the next question is ‘Who is coaching us?’ I was able to talk with them and most were OK. I was a familiar face. I had had some interaction with them, on the road or at practices. It made the transition easier.”
Western New Mexico (6-8, 4-5 RMAC) is 1-3 since Enriquez took over.
“I have a great group,” he said. “I’ve changed some things gradually, and they’ve done a great job adapting to the situation.”
The Mustangs play Regis (7-8, 5-4) at home today at 5:30 p.m. They entertain Chadron State (3-10, 3-6) on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
“We can go as far as we allow ourselves to,” Enriquez said. “Our motto is defense and intensity. That can take us pretty far into conference. The RMAC is a tough conference, and we have a battle ahead of us.”
As far as earning the job on a more permanent basis, Enriquez is taking his best shot.
“My approach is I believe I do have a realistic shot,” he said. “It’s an audition. I have to make sure my team is getting better.”
HIGHLANDS: Bob Clifford, the new athletic director at Highlands, is a published poet.
Clifford was an associate athletic director and a director of student affairs during his 13 years at Oregon State. He led a committee that raised $172 million for athletics.
The 1979 Michigan grad has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and has published a collection of poetry called “Gasping for Air.”
NMHU MEN: Highlands (8-7, 7-2) leads the RMAC in 3-point field-goal percentage, hitting 126 of 324 shots (38.9 percent). The Cowboys also lead the league in blocked shots a game (4.3). Marlon Johnson has 24 in 15 games.