Mike Locksley - New Mexico's 29th Head Football Coach
Dec. 9, 2008
Mike Locksley is the 29th head coach for New Mexico football, which began competition in 1892. UNM Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs said Locksley has agreed to a six-year contract worth $750,000 annually.
Locksley, who will turn 39 on Christmas Day, is a 17-year veteran of collegiate coaching. He recently completed his fourth season as the University of Illinois’ offensive coordinator and third year as quarterbacks coach. He also spent two seasons (2003-04) at the University of Florida as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator under current Illinois head coach Ron Zook, and six seasons (1997-2002) in the same role at the University of Maryland for head coaches Ron Vanderlinden and Ralph Friedgen.
Locksley takes over at UNM for Rocky Long, who resigned on Nov. 17 after 11 seasons at his alma mater.
“We are elated to have Mike Locksley accept the position of head football coach at the University of New Mexico,” said Krebs. “He is the total package; a mentor to young men who stresses the importance of being a student and an athlete. He is a coach who has been recognized nationally for being a top recruiter. Although Mike has yet to reach his 40th birthday, he brings a wealth of experience to our program from some top-tier institutions.”
“It is a great privilege for me to represent the University of New Mexico,” said Locksley, a native of Washington, D.C. “I am proud to lead the Lobo football family and I will be very passionate about this position. I want to provide a culture that takes our guys where they can’t take themselves academically, athletically and socially. That’s the responsibility of our coaching staff.”
Throughout his career, Locksley has been praised as one of the top recruiters in the country. He was listed among the top-20 recruiters in the nation by Sports Illustrated and was named a top-25 recruiter by Rivals.com while at Illinois. In 2003, he helped Florida assemble the seventh-best recruiting class in the country according to Rivals.com.
Locksley turned Illinois into one of the nation’s top offenses. The Illini led the Big Ten in rushing in 2006 and 2007, and passing in 2008. The team ranked second in the Big Ten and 19th nationally in total offense in 2008, averaging 439.4 yards per game. Illinois topped 5,000 yards of total offense for the second straight season in 2008 – a feat that hasn’t been achieved at New Mexico since 2003 and just twice since 1986.
Four members of the 2008 Illinois offense earned postseason honors. Sophomore receiver Arrelious Benn was named first-team All-Big Ten after leading the conference in receiving yards (1,055). Quarterback Juice Williams and offensive linemen Xavier Fulton and Ryan McDonald earned second-team honors.
Williams, under direct guidance from Locksley, has become one of the school’s most productive quarterbacks. In three years, Williams has passed for more than 6,000 yards and rushed for more than 2,000. He currently holds school records for rushing yards by a quarterback and single-season total offense. Williams led the Big Ten in passing (3,173 yards) and total offense (3,892 yards) in 2008 and was third in passing efficiency (136.15 rating). He has thrown 44 touchdowns and scored 14 on the ground during his career. Williams also has tossed four touchdowns over 68 yards, which is the most ever by an Illini quarterback.
The 2007 Illinois offense became the third in school history to surpass the 5,000-yard mark and first to top 3,000 yards rushing. Led by Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Rashard Mendenhall, the Illini led the Big Ten in rushing for the second straight year and finished fifth nationally at 256.7 yards a game. Mendenhall, who averaged 129 yards, was a first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008. Quarterback Juice Williams showed incredible improvement, becoming the first Illini QB to rush for over 1,000 yards in his career and increasing his completion percentage by 17.4 percent from his sophomore season. Illinois played Southern Cal in the 2008 Rose Bowl and finished the season 18th in the nation in the the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll and 20th in the Associated Press rankings.
Locksley was a big force behind the Illini’s recruiting efforts, being named the No. 5 recruiter in the Big Ten and among the top-20 in the nation by Sports Illustrated. In 2005, Rivals.com named him a top-25 recruiter.
In 2006, Locksley led an Illinois offense that led the Big Ten and ranked 10th in the nation in rushing, averaging 188.8 yards. He tutored versatile running back Pierre Thomas, a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten pick, who wrapped up his career as the sixth-best rusher all-time at Illinois and is currently the New Orleans Saints’ leading rusher.
Prior to his arrival at Illinois, Locksley worked two seasons for Ron Zook at the University of Florida as running backs coach and recruiting coordinator, following six years on the University of Maryland staff.
Locksley was praised for his recruiting abilities, which earned him the recognition of one of the nation’s top-25 recruiters when Rivals.com rated the 2003 Florida class seventh in the nation.
In 2004, UF running back Ciatrick Fason led the SEC and was 19th in the NCAA in rushing at 105.6 yards a game, earning second-team All-SEC honors. The Florida offense ranked first in the SEC in passing offense (271 yards a game) and total offense (426.9 yards a game) and was second in scoring offense (31.8 points a game). Quarterback Chris Leak led the conference in total offense at 273 yards a game.
In 2003, three Gator rushers logged over 500 yards on the ground and each averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
Locksley worked as the Maryland running backs coach for six seasons, including five years as recruiting coordinator. Three different running backs – Chris Downs, Bruce Perry and Lamont Jordan – rushed for more than 1,000 yards and were named first-team All-ACC. In 1999, Jordan spearheaded a Terps’ rushing attack that led the ACC (234.1 yards a game) and ranked 12th in the nation. In his career, Jordan was the ACC’s runner-up for 1997 Rookie of the Year and finished as a Doak Walker semifinalist. An eight-year NFL veteran, Jordan was selected in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Perry was the 2001 ACC Offensive Player of the Year, a first for a Terp running back, and first sophomore to win the award. Both Perry and Jordan earned All-America honors under Locksley.
Locksley began his coaching career on the defensive side of the ball with stops at his alma mater, Towson University, as the defensive backs coach (1992), at the U.S. Navy Prep School (1993-94), at University of the Pacific (1995) and at Army (1996).
A three-year starter at Towson, Locksley played safety and was named the team’s defensive Most Valuable Player in 1991 as a senior. He finished his career ranked 19th on the school’s all-time tackles list. Locksley graduated from Towson in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing.
Locksley and his wife, Kia, have four children; three sons, Mike, Jr., Meiko and Kai, and a daughter, Kori.
THE Mike Locksley FILE
Age: 38 (born Dec. 25, 1969)
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Alma Mater: Towson University `92; B.S., Business Administration and Marketing
Playing Experience: Towson University, 1988-91
Family: Wife, Kia; sons Mike Jr. (20), Meiko (16), Kai (11); daughter, Kori (9)
Coaching Experience
1992 Towson University (defensive backs/special teams)
1993 U.S. Naval Prep School (defensive coordinator/defensive backs)
1994 U.S. Naval Prep School (defensive coordinator/defensive line)
1995 University of the Pacific (outside linebackers)
1996 Army (receivers/tight ends)
1997 University of Maryland (running backs)
1998-2002 University of Maryland (running backs/recruiting coordinator)
2003-04 University of Florida (running backs/recruiting coordinator)
2005 University of Illinois (offensive coordinator/tight ends)
2006-08 University of Illinois (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
Bowl Games Coached
1996 Independence Bowl (Army)
2002 Orange Bowl (Maryland)
2002 Peach Bowl (Maryland)
2004 Outback Bowl (Florida)
2004 Peach Bowl (Florida)
2008 Rose Bowl (Illinois)
Honors & Awards
2007 – Recruiter of the Year Finalist (Rivals)
2007 – Hot Young Assistant Coach (Lindy’s)
2006 – Top-20 National Recruiter (Sports Illustrated)
2006 – Top-10 Big Ten Recruiter (Rivals)
2005 – Top-25 National Recruiter (Rivals)
2003 – Top-25 National Recruiter (Rivals)
Highlights at Illinois
Back-to-back 5,000-yard seasons for total offense (2007-08)
School record for total offense (2007)
School record total rushing yards (2007)
Big Ten rushing title (2007)
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, RB Rashard Mendenhall (2007)
Big Ten Freshman of the Year, WR Arrelious Benn (2007)
Big Ten passing title (2008)
Big Ten passing and total offense leader, QB Juice Williams (2008)
Big Ten receiving leader, WR Arrelious Benn (2008)
Four consecutive years of top recruiting honors