Jason Eck, 49, has become one of college football's hottest coaching names after leading the New Mexico Lobos to a 7-1 record, their first AP Top 25 ranking in school history, and a 16-5 mark in two seasons. The turnaround follows a 23-year assistant coaching odyssey that included 12 different head coaches, four job losses, and a stint maintaining a university golf course.
Christmas Eve Firing and a New Beginning
On Dec. 23, 2010, Eck was fired as offensive line coach at Ball State. That night, his wife Kimberly went into labor with their son Palmer, born on Christmas Eve. "Literally, it was like my fastest delivery, two hours. So it had to have been stress," Kimberly recalled. The family then took a pay cut to $44,000 at FCS Hampton, and were given 30 days to vacate university housing when Eck left after one year.
Breaking Point and Persistence
After a third job in three years at Western Illinois — where the staff was reassigned to campus jobs including golf course maintenance — Eck nearly left coaching for a FieldTurf sales position. He turned down two coaching offers but eventually landed at Minnesota State-Mankato, where his offense reached the Division II national championship game. A subsequent move to Montana State ended when the head coach was fired, continuing the cycle of instability.
Stability at South Dakota State and First Head Job
Eck found a stable home at South Dakota State under John Stiegelmeier, who told him, "I think you will be a very good head coach someday." Elevated to offensive coordinator, Eck won the AFCA FCS Assistant Coach of the Year in 2019. In December 2021, at age 44, he became head coach at Idaho, leading the Vandals to three straight FCS playoff appearances and a 26-13 record.
New Mexico Turnaround
Eck accepted the New Mexico job on Dec. 14, 2024, citing the passionate basketball crowds at The Pit, favorable conference realignment with Boise State departing, and athletic director Fernando Lovo. The Lobos went 9-4 in his first season, routed UCLA 35-10 at the Rose Bowl, and earned a bowl berth for the first time since 2016. Eck received a five-year, $8.75 million contract.
Family Affair and Current Season
Eck's son Jaxton, a linebacker, followed him from Idaho and was co-defensive player of the year in the Mountain West. Despite Jaxton's shoulder injury and starting quarterback Jack Layne's season-ending elbow surgery, New Mexico leads the nation in scoring defense (11.9 points per game) and turnover margin (+17). Backup quarterback Toa Fa'avae has kept the Lobos winning, including a 21-16 victory over North Dakota State before a crowd of 34,794.
Speculation and Focus
With four major college jobs open, Eck's name appears on candidate lists. His buyout is $4 million, but a clause reportedly cuts it to $2 million for 12 months due to Lovo's move to Colorado. Eck refuses to promise he will stay, saying, "If I ever leave here, I'm going to be very selective. It's going to have to be an incredible opportunity that I couldn't turn down." He emphasizes focusing on the present: "The second we start focusing on that shit, or it takes our mind off of what we're doing, we're going to lose value for ourselves."
New Mexico (7-1, 4-0 Mountain West) travels to Nevada (3-5, 2-2) for a Friday night game on CBS Sports Network, with a 5.3% CFP chance per CBS Sports projections. Through it all, the Ecks maintain their Thursday lunch ritual at Cheese and Coffee in Albuquerque — switching days only because of the Friday kickoff. "Thank God we can actually afford to fix our roof," Kimberly said after recent storm damage, a reminder of the lean years that shaped their journey.
