GORDON: Eck is the People’s Coach of New Mexico

  UNM head football coach Jason Eck celebrates on the sidelines during the Lobos’ 34-17 win over Michigan on Saturday. Despite the loss, there has been a buzz about the potential for the 2025 UNM football season. Aaron J. Thornton / Digital Depictions

We are one game into the Jason Eck era with the UNM football team and I’m already going to crown him the coolest head football coach the Lobos have ever had (in my own personal record book).

To be a man of the people, you must get THE PEOPLE.

“To me, New Mexico, this is a prideful, gritty state that’s got a lot of tough people,” Eck said at his press conference Monday afternoon. “And I hope they see a team that kind of represents them.”

That game against Michigan was a step in the right direction.

I’ve been following the Lobos for 24 years and have been very critical of this team for a long time.

We’ve also had a carousel of head coaches, each more opposite than the last, so it’s been hard to really find someone consistent to root for. Rocky Long was great and somewhat unfairly faced some unrealistic expectations at the end of his tenure as head coach.

I attended college during the Mike Locksley era (ask my colleague Ryan Tomari about that one).

Bob Davie accomplished some positive things, despite also facing some negative aspects.

I think Danny Gonzales wanted to be Jason Eck, but he didn’t have IT.

Bronco Mendenhall. I’m just going to let that one speak for itself.

We never knew any of those coaches personally. It feels like we’ve known Eck for years and he got here last December.

The Scott’s Tots skit was fantastic. Big Cat from Barstool Sports even called Eck one of his favorite college coaches. Hell, Eck even came to a brewery with us over the summer to talk football.

“I think Coach Eck is doing all the right things,” former Lobos Running Back Micah Gray told us earlier this summer. “I feel like the last couple of coaches have different mixes of good and bad and I’m specifically relating to the alumni connection, the public connection, the university connection.”

Eck will play in front of the UNM crowd for the first time this Saturday against Idaho State and he’s already saying the right things. “Hopefully, I’m seeing all those flags, those New Mexico flags, hanging up there,” Eck said. “Hopefully, our students are loud as hell behind the other team’s bench. Don’t cross the line but I hope they go right up to the line.”

I’ve seen football coaches come and go here.

This is the first one who is a true man of the people. He has swag, he has rizz (there you go Gen Z) and he has IT.