Mikey Howell is in his second season as an assistant coach at New Mexico in 2026-27. He joined the Lobo coaching staff after coaching and playing at UC San Diego for Eric Olen.
In his first season on the Lobo staff in 2025-26, Howell helped UNM win 26 games and reach the NIT semifinals. New Mexico finished in the top 50 of the NET and KenPom and set a school record with 3,004 points scored.
Howell, who starred at point guard for Olen at UC San Diego, spent the previous three seasons on the staff of his alma mater. He was an assistant coach for his final two seasons as the Tritons made their first two Division I postseason appearances. Howell joined the staff in 2022-23 as the director of basketball operations.
As a player at UCSD, Howell is the school’s all-time leader in assists with 502 over his career. As a senior in 2020-21, the Tritons’ first season in Division I, he led the Big West and ranked 12th nationally by averaging 6.0 assists per game. In 2019-20, UCSD’s final season in Division II, he earned second-team all-conference honors as he set the school’s single season assist record with 215. He helped the Tritons to a 30-1 record as he was sixth in the nation in assists at 6.9 per game.
“No one has spent more time in our system than Mikey,” said Olen. “He’s been both a player who thrived in our environment and also a coach who helped players do the same thing. He connects with players and relates to their experiences, having recently been in their shoes. Mikey has always had a feel for the game well beyond his years of experience. He supports the offensive side of the ball and excels in guard development. Lobo Nation is going to be excited about what Mikey brings to our team.”