UNM announces new five-year deal for track and field, cross country coach Darren Gauson

New Mexico announced a new five-year contract for track and field and cross country coach Darren Gauson on Wednesday, increasing his annual compensation by $30,000 to make him the highest-paid coach in the league.

The five-time Mountain West Coach of the Year’s new deal comes after two highly successful seasons at the helm, featuring five conference team titles and one NCAA individual championship last season. He is now set to make $145,000 annually on a five-year contract expiring in 2030. His previous deal, paying him $115,000 in base salary, was set to expire in 2028.

A copy of Gauson’s new contract was not available for the Journal to review at the time of publication.

“I am very appreciative of (UNM President Garnett S. Stokes), the Board of Regents, and athletic director Fernando Lovo for their amazing support of Lobo cross country and track and field,” Gauson said in a release. “Sustained excellence is only possible when there is clear alignment and strong support — qualities that are firmly in place at the University of New Mexico. It is a tremendous honor to serve this program and I am eager to bring future championships to our great state.”

Lovo told the Journal he was aware of recent offers extended to Gauson, 43, by power conference programs, and wanted to prioritize getting a new deal done to keep him at UNM and make him the highest-paid coach in the Mountain West. Under his previous contract, Gauson’s buyout would have cost $100,000 before June 30, and decreased to $50,000 on July 1.

“Darren has elevated every aspect of our program,” Lovo said in a release. “In just two years, he’s built a championship culture and a team that consistently performs on the national stage. His leadership, vision, and ability to develop talent are exactly what we look for.”

In drafting a new deal, Lovo added that UNM made “modifications” to Gauson’s incentive-based bonuses. Per his previous deal, Gauson would have received upward of $16,500 this contract year in incentive-based bonuses dependent on team performance, coach of the year honors and Academic Progress Rate.

UNM is also eyeing possible raises for Gauson’s full-time assistant coaching staff, Lovo said, but no final decisions have been made.

“He’s got great assistants and they’ve done a heck of a job,” he continued. “ … All those contracts are up for renewal here in the next month, month-and-a-half, so we’ll continue those conversations.”

The former coach at Bradley and Lamar, Gauson replaced longtime head coach Joe Franklin after the latter was hired by Louisville in June 2023. Considered one of the best coaches in UNM history, Franklin led the Lobos to NCAA women’s cross country titles in 2015 and 2017 and was named national coach of the year three times.

Gauson’s first season saw UNM’s men’s cross country team win its first Mountain West title since 2014, and star freshman Habtom Samuel finish second overall at the men’s NCAA Cross Country Championships. Samuel went on to win the men’s NCAA outdoor 10,000-meter final last June, claiming the Lobos’ first individual national title since 2019.

Gauson’s second season saw even greater team success, with UNM's men’s and women’s teams both winning Mountain West cross country championships. UNM also swept the league's indoor and outdoor women’s track and field team titles; the latter represented the first in program history.

Next week, UNM is sending 11 qualifiers — 10 more than last year — across eight events to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Wednesday, Gauson said the Lobos’ progression from his hiring to now has “exceeded expectations."

“In coaching, I think as soon as you do something, it’s like, (you) enjoy it for a little bit and then it’s on to the next one,” he told the Journal. “We’re gonna enjoy this week and next week, but we’ll be firmly focused on the following year with recruitment and the transfer portal, trying to win six (league titles). We really want to win six before some people leave the Mountain West.

“Just to sort of say, ‘hey, look, we are the best team in the Mountain West – you might be leaving, but we’re the best team.’”

Journal staff writer Geoff Grammer contributed to this report.