UC San Diego coach Eric Olen could be coaching in San Diego next season, but it might be a league game at Viejas Arena against San Diego State.
The architect of UCSD’s 30-5 record and NCAA Tournament berth in the program’s first season of Division I eligibility is a finalist for the vacancy at New Mexico, according to multiple sources close to the hiring process. The other known finalist is Andy Kennedy from Alabama-Birmingham.
New Mexico went 27-8, claimed the Mountain West regular-season title and won a game in the NCAA Tournament before exiting against Michigan State last Sunday. Three days later, coach Richard Pitino was hired by Xavier of the Big East.
The front-runner for the job was initially considered former USD player and assistant coach James Borrego, who has spent most of his career in the NBA and is currently an associate head coach with the New Orleans Pelicans. But the Albuquerque Journal reported Friday that the Albuquerque native withdrew from consideration, and sources said the search narrowed to Olen and Kennedy.
UCSD gave Olen a new contract last summer that raised his 2024-25 salary from $270,000 to $345,000 plus an $85,000 “talent fee” (taking it to $430,000). Performance bonuses for Big West coach of the year and the NCAA Tournament appearance elevate it to $485,000. In addition, he is in line for a separate $65,000 “retention” bonus if he’s still at UCSD on June 30.
What also makes Olen attractive, especially in an era where schools are trying to save every dollar for NIL payments to players, is that his buyout lowered from $712,000 to a mere $150,000 in his new contract. Kennedy’s would be substantially higher.
Pitino made $1.2 million last season at New Mexico, and boosters were putting together a package that would have paid him about $2 million to stay.
Olen, 44, has spent 21 years at UCSD, the last 12 as head coach. He drew national attention after guiding the Tritons to the Big West regular-season and tournament titles in their first year of full Division I membership following a four-year transition from Division II. In the NCAA Tournament, they lost 68-65 against Michigan in Denver – but not before coming from 15 points down and having a 3-pointer rim out at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.
His five-out “flow” offense and unorthodox matchup zone defense are considered cutting edge in the ever-evolving world of college basketball, the proof being 30 wins despite starting four Division II transfers, none taller than 6-foot-8.
Olen was considered a leading candidate at Utah State if Jerrod Calhoun left for West Virginia, where he had been an assistant under popular head coach Bob Huggins. But the Mountaineers went in a different direction, and Calhoun signed a contract extension for $1.8 million per year to stay in Logan, Utah.
Olen has been mentioned for openings at fellow Mountain West programs UNLV and Colorado State as well. Both have since been filled.
Should Kennedy, 57, get the nod at New Mexico, Olen might become a candidate at Alabama-Birmingham, where Kennedy made $1.1 million. Olen grew up in the state and attended Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala.
UCSD currently is operating with a strict hiring freeze for both faculty and staff that may hinder athletic director Earl Edwards’ ability to negotiate a salary bump to keep him or to hire an outside replacement should he leave.
“My priority is to keep Eric at UC San Diego,” Edwards said via text Saturday night, “and I’m working diligently to do so.”
Olen was unavailable for comment.
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