New Mexico, Jason Eck agree to new five-year deal

New Mexico has signed head coach Jason Eck to a new five-year deal, the school announced Sunday.

UNM’s first-year coach will average an annual compensation of $1.75 million over the life of the contract, an increase of $600,000 from his previous deal. Eck, 47, is also subject to increased incentives tied to regular season wins, postseason appearances and wins over ranked or Power Four opponents.

His assistant and support staff salary pool is also set to increase, per UNM athletic director Fernando Lovo, and additional resources will be dedicated to roster retention.

Listed as a candidate for multiple Power Four jobs this cycle, Eck hinted that a new or restructured deal was imminent after the Lobos’ 23-17 double-overtime win over San Diego State on Friday. That win pushed the Lobos to 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the Mountain West, tied with three other teams for first place in the league.

All parties signed the new deal before the SDSU game: Eck and UNM athletic director Fernando Lovo signed last Tuesday, and UNM President Garnett S. Stokes did so last Wednesday.

“Keeping coach Eck at UNM was incredibly important to us,” Lovo said in a release Sunday. “What he has accomplished in such a short time is truly extraordinary. He brought belief back in our program, united our community, and raised the standard for what New Mexico football can be.”

Per the Journal’s review of the contract, Eck will make $1.55 million in the first year of his new deal. That figure will increase by $100,000 each year in a contract that expires in 2030; Eck’s base salary ($400,000) remains unchanged through the life of the deal, but his media participation and program promotion clauses ($575,000 each) increase by $50,000 each year.

Eck is also subject to new incentives based on regular-season wins. He would receive an additional $50,000 for seven regular-season wins; $100,000 for eight; $150,000 for nine; and $200,000 for 10. He would be set to make a $100,000 bonus for an appearance in the Mountain West Championship game and $150,000 for winning it along with $10,000 for any win over a ranked or Power Four team.

If UNM were to make the College Football Playoff, Eck would be entitled to $100,000 per game played that postseason. He would receive $350,000 if the Lobos were to win the national championship, a $250,000 increase from the figure stipulated in his original deal.

Academic incentives related to UNM’s Academic Progress Report (APR) have been replaced and are now structured around team GPA. Eck is no longer subject to receive bonuses related to attendance.

His buyout remains un- changed from the original deal, with Eck paying UNM $4 million if he were to leave in his first contract year; $2 million in the second; $750,000 in the third; $500,000 in the fourth; and $300,000 in the fifth and final year of the deal.

UNM hired Eck, formerly the head coach at Idaho, in December 2024. In his first year, he notched a 35-10 win at UCLA and nearly led the Lobos to their first-ever Mountain West Championship appearance.

UNM is bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016 and on Sunday received votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time in nearly 28 years.

Attendance has also seen a dramatic spike in Eck’s one season on the job. After averaging 16,001 last season, UNM home attendance increased 57.8% to an average of 25,252 through six home games in 2025. It’s the highest year-over-year attendance increase among FBS programs this season.