University of New Mexico head football coach Bob Davie and New Mexico head cross country coach Joe Franklin both earned the 2015 Regents’ Meritorious Service Award Friday morning.
The award, presented at Friday’s UNM Board of Regents meeting on the main campus of UNM, honors individuals who have done outstanding work at the university for a number of years.
Davie, in his fourth year coaching the Lobo football team, has led New Mexico to its first winning season and its first bowl game since 2007.
The Lobos, who finished 7-5 overall and 5-3 in the Mountain West, will face the Arizona Wildcats next Friday in the 10th annual Gildan New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium.
Under his guide, the Lobos won their most conference games since 1997. New Mexico captured victories over three teams that went to bowls in 2014, including an upset win over Boise State in Boise.
Davie also led the Lobos to fourth straight victory over in-state rival New Mexico State, becoming just the second Lobo coach to start his career 4-0 against the Aggies.
Franklin, in his eighth year at the helm of the New Mexico cross country/track & field program, coached the Lobo women’s cross country team to its first NCAA title on Nov. 21.
UNM recorded the best team score at the NCAA meet since 1982, and five Lobos claimed All-American status at the meet, the most by a single school since 2009.
The 2015 USTFCCCA National Women’s Coach of the Year, Franklin led New Mexico to an eighth-straight NCAA berth and an eighth-straight Mountain West title in 2015.
He was also named 2015 USTFCCCA Mountain Region Women’s Coach of the Year and 2015 Mountain West Women’s Coach of the Year.
New Mexico will be playing in its first bowl game since the 2007 season. UNM will take on Arizona in the 10th Annual Gildan New Mexico Bowl at noon on Saturday, December 19. Tickets can be purchased through the UNM ticket office at unmtickets.com.