ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Jason Eck, who has led the University of Idaho football program to a national ranking and FCS playoffs appearances in all three of his seasons at Idaho, has been named the new head coach of the University of New Mexico football program.
“I am thrilled to have Jason Eck as our next head football coach,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo. “Jason has led Idaho to tremendous success, turning around the program and building upon success year after year, through recruiting, teaching and a strong culture. Throughout his career, he has been a part of winning programs at all levels of college football and his passion for student-athlete success and well-being is evident. We are fortunate to have Jason and his family join the Lobos and I am confident that he will take us to unprecedented heights.”
A veteran coach with 26 years of experience at the FBS, FCS and Division II levels, Eck has led the Idaho Vandals to three straight playoff berths in the FCS, including the quarterfinals the past two seasons. In the 22 years prior to his arrival, the Vandals totaled just two winning seasons. Additionally, Idaho increased its win total each season under Eck.
“I want to thank President Stokes, Vice President and Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo and everyone involved with the search process,” said Eck. “I am truly humbled to be selected as the head coach of the New Mexico Lobos. I know that the university community, students, alumni, Lobo Nation and greater Albuquerque and New Mexico communities are eager for success and I cannot wait to give that to them. We will have tremendous coaches and support staff and develop our student-athletes into elite athletes, UNM graduates and people. My wife,Kimberly, and our five children are thrilled to be a part of Albuquerque and we are ready to go!”
“We are excited to welcome Jason Eck and his wonderful family to The University of New Mexico,” said President Garnett S. Stokes. “Jason is a visionary leader who puts the student-athlete first, and his teams have always enjoyed tremendous success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. We welcome Jason, Kimberly and their children Quinton, Jaxton, Palmer, Maverick and Lola to Albuquerque and to Lobo Nation!”
In 2024, Eck had to reload after losing his starting quarterback and 81.5% of his team’s total receptions and 82.7% of the total receiving yards from his team to graduation or the transfer portal. All he has done in 2024 is beat a second Mountain West opponent and led Idaho to a 10-4 record and a second straight FCS Playoff quarterfinal appearance. After opening the season by putting a scare into currently undefeated No. 1 Oregon, losing just 24-14 in a game where Idaho trailed 17-14 late in the fourth quarter, Eck led the Vandals to a second straight Mountain West win, this time beating Wyoming in Laramie 17-13. Idaho then rolled off five straight wins to end the regular season, despite losing their starting quarterback to injury. Three of Idaho’s four losses on the season were to teams ranked No. 1 in the polls.
In 2023 with Gevani McCoy at quarterback a season after winning the Jerry Rice Award, presented to the most outstanding freshman in the FCS, the Vandals improved to 9-4, again finishing 6-2 in the Big Sky, tying for second place. The Vandals played two FBS programs, falling in a close game to California 31-17 and defeating Nevada 33-6 in Reno, allowing only two field goals as Idaho outgained the Wolf Pack 463 to 266. The Vandals went 4-2 against ranked opponents and advanced to the FCS Quarterfinals. Once again, the Vandals ranked in the Top 20 in a host of categories including passing efficiency (12th at 154.7), scoring offense (14th at 32.3), total defense (14th at 306.8), red zone offense (4th at 92.6%), net punting (11th at 40.1), punt returns (3rd at 18.4), kickoff returns (7th at 24.2), and time of possession 3rd at 33:48).
Two players, receiver Hayden Hatten and defensive back Marcus Harris, were both named All-Americans. For Hatten, marking his second straight All-American nod.
In his first season as head coach in 2022, Eck led the Vandals to a 7-5 overall record and a 6-2 mark in the Big Sky Conference, finishing third. That season included wins over rival No. 3 Montana, a first for the program since 1999, and the team broke the 40-point mark five times. Two of the losses were to Washington State (24-17) and at Indiana (35-22). The team qualified for the postseason for the first time since playing in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2016, and for the just the fourth time since 1995 when the program last played in the FCS Playoffs.
Idaho ranked in the Top 20 in the FCS in passing efficiency (5th at 168.1), scoring offense (13th at 35.9), fewest passing yards allowed (19th at 190.0), turnover margin (9th at +0.83), red zone offense (5th at 92.3%), punt returns (13th at 13.9), kickoff returns (13th at 24.1), and time of possession (2nd at 35:07).
Eck’s quarterback, Jerry Rice Award winner Gevani McCoy, threw for 2,725 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Overall, in his three seasons with Idaho, Eck coached 16 First Team All-Big Sky players, 12 Second Team All-Big Sky players, four Third Team All-Big Sky players and 16 Honorable Mention All-Big Sky players.
Prior to becoming Idaho’s head coach, Eck spent six seasons with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits as offensive line coach and the final three as offensive coordinator. In 2019, he was named the American Football Coaches’ Association FCS Assistant Coach of the Year.
At South Dakota State, he helped lead the Jackrabbits to three FCS Playoff semifinal appearances in four seasons and a national championship game appearance in the spring 2021 season. In three years as the offensive coordinator at SDSU, Eck’s teams averaged 32.5 points per game, including 37.5 in his final season in 2021. The Jackrabbits were eighth in scoring offense, seventh in team passing efficiency and eighth in rushing offense behind the FCS’ leading rusher, Pierre Strong.
In the 2021 spring season, freshman quarterback Mark Gronowski was the runner-up for the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS freshman of the year before being injured on the first series of the National Championship game. The Jackrabbits fell just 23-21 despite missing Gronowski.
The 2021 spring team showed off Eck’s experience as an offensive line coach as the Jackrabbits were seventh in the FCS in rushing and fourth in the FCS for tackles for loss allowed despite playing some of the most physical defenses in the country in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Sophomore offensive tackle Garret Greenfield was a near-consensus All-America selection and sophomore guard Mason McCormick also received All-America recognition.
Eck served as the offensive line coach for the Jackrabbits from 2016-18. During his first season with the Jackrabbits, SDSU featured one of the most prolific offenses in the MVFC and the FCS, posting averages of 33.2 points and 437.5 yards of total offense per game. In league contests, SDSU ranked second out of 10 teams in allowing only 11 total sacks and ranking first in five different offensive categories.
Before his time at SDSU, Eck was the offensive line coach and run-game coordinator at Montana State in 2015. The Bobcats were 18th in the FCS for rushing offense and 23rd in the FCS for sacks allowed. MSU was third in the FCS for scoring offense during his one season in Bozeman.
He was the offensive coordinator for the record-setting offense at Minnesota State, Mankato during back-to-back Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championships in 2013 and 2014. He served as the offensive line coach in 2013 and added offensive coordinator duties in 2014 as the Mavericks advanced to the NCAA Division II championship game. The 2014 season saw Mankato finish 14th in Division II in rushing offense.
Eck has also served coaching stints at Western Illinois (2012), Hampton (2011), Ball State (2009-10), and Winona State (2007-08). He had a previous stop at Idaho as an assistant coach, starting in 2004 when he coached the Vandal offensive line for three seasons.
A 1999 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Eck played on the Badgers’ 1998 Big Ten Championship team which went on to win the Rose Bowl. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin under head coach Barry Alvarez and later moved on to Colorado.
Eck and his wife Kimberly have five children: Quentin, Jaxton, Palmer, Maverick and Lola. Kimberly is on the Board of Directors of the American Football Coaches Wives Association.
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