College Football Coach Makes Humorous Plug After USC Debacle
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The sparse attendance at USC’s home opener remains a talking point since Week Zero, and one college football head coach made an extra plug for attendance in his team’s home opener.
That’s New Mexico head coach Jason Eck, who has helped attendance improve for the Lobos in his tenure. New Mexico seats 39,224, and the Lobos’ attendance jumped 58% last season with 25,252 per game. While Eck didn’t reference USC, he playfully talked up getting strong attendance for the Lobos season opener.
“At one time, I said I wanted 15 [thousand] season ticket holders, but … again looking back at it, I just want to throw butts in the seats. I don’t care how many walk ups or that. Our fans did a great job of walk ups last year,” Eck told reporters on Monday.
“So I’d love to see 30,000 people at our game Saturday night [against Central Michigan]. It’s late. Next day’s Sunday. You can go to the later church service or whatever,” Eck digressed. “I’ll tell Father … the nice thing in this town, there’s so many Catholic churches … just look at masstimes.org, and I can find a later one whenever I want to go to church.”
Eck’s squad has lofty expectations this season as a contender in the Mountain West Conference, but a big challenge awaits the Lobos with starting quarterback Jack Layne out of the season. New Mexico went 9-4 under Eck in his first season last year.
Jason Eck a Candidate For a Power Four Job
With just one successful season at New Mexico, Eck could already move for a Power Four job next year as ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg speculates.
“One of the more colorful coaching personalities in college football also could be among the most coveted, especially if New Mexico builds on a nine-win season that marked the best by a first-year Lobos coach,” Rittenberg wrote. “Eck, 49, is a Midwest native who has spent much of his career there, but he has also made his mark out West, first with Idaho, where he went 26-13 with three FCS playoff appearances, and now at New Mexico.”
“The former Wisconsin offensive lineman could be a candidate if a job opens at his alma mater,” Rittenberg added. “He also was hired at UNM by first-year Colorado athletic director Fernando Lovo. Eck was a graduate assistant at Colorado in 2002 and 2003.”
Lobos QB Mystery an Incentive For Fans
Eck has options at quarterback, and there isn’t a long-term starter determined yet. He wants it that way just as much for the fans as making it tough for the Chippewas to game plan.
“We will figure that out,” Eck said. “We are still evaluating through practices this week, and I want to help sell those last few tickets. So, I don’t want to give it away. It’s like a to-be-continued episode, get your tickets and come to the game, and you will see Saturday night who the starter is going to be.”
New Mexico has three main quarterbacks to work with: James Laubstein, Luke Moga and Toa Fa’ave. Only Laubstein has substantial playing time, but Moga is a transfer from Oregon, and Fa’ave is a dual-threat quarterback from storied California high school program De La Salle.
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