Former YSU tight end Davie has New Mexico on mend

Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.

When Bob Davie became New Mexico’s head coach in 2011, he bluntly said he’d make no promises. The Lobos had lost 35 of their past 38 games and the previous coach had been fired following a slew of embarrassing off-field problems.

Davie – a Youngstown State tight end in the 1970s – only said he would seek to “stabilize this program.”

Four years after taking over the embattled football program, and 14 years since getting ousted himself as Notre Dame’s head coach, the 61-year-old Davie has the Lobos playing in their first bowl game in nearly a decade. New Mexico (7-5), will meet Arizona (6-6) in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday after a surprisingly solid season that saw the Lobos shock Boise State and Mountain West Mountain Division champion Air Force.

Davie succeeded Lou Holtz at Notre Dame in 1997 and compiled a 35-25 record over five years. He was fired after the 2001 season with a 5-6 record.

Davie said his return to the college postseason, his first since 2000, is “absolutely not” about redemption. It’s about rebuilding a program that still needs more work with a bowl appearance as a first step, he said.

“The football gods smiled on us at times this year. I don’t deny that,” Davie said. “This will only be important to us if we take advantage of this and build on this. If we don’t, we are going to be back where we were.”

Davie’s last appearance in a bowl game came as Notre Dame’s head coach and ended in a loss to Oregon State in the Fiesta Bowl.

A year later, he was gone. He took a job as an analyst with ESPN until he returned to coaching with the Lobos.

Senior tight end Reece White said none of that played into his decision to come to New Mexico when Davie worked to recruit him.