New Mexico Basketball: UNM names 32-year-old Ryan Berryman full-time athletic director
The University of New Mexico promoted 32-year-old Ryan Berryman to vice president and director of athletics Wednesday, removing his interim title after a two-month interim period that included a 10-year naming-rights partnership for The Pit and improvements at University Stadium. The move matters for new mexico basketball and the school's football program, which has seen first-year coach Jason Eck win nine games and earn the program's first bowl bid since 2016.
New Mexico Basketball coaches praise the hire
UNM President Garnett S. Stokes announced the choice after a two-month national search conducted with Parker Executive Search, saying the process showed Berryman "stood above" an outstanding field of candidates. Berryman, a New Mexico native and three-time UNM graduate, steps into the role as one of the youngest athletic directors in Division I and the first Lobo alumnus to head the department in the modern era.
From student manager to athletic director
Berryman's path at UNM began in 2012 as a student manager for the men's basketball program, where he did laundry and helped during back-to-back Mountain West Championships. He later served as deputy athletic director and chief operating officer, and spent time at the University of Washington as the school's CFO and senior associate athletic director before returning to UNM in 2025. He had been serving as interim athletic director since January and succeeds Fernando Lovo, who left in late December to take the AD post at Colorado.
Deals, upgrades and an early agenda
During his two-month interim period, Berryman led efforts to secure a 10-year naming-rights agreement with Nusenda Credit Union that averages nearly $1. 75 million annually for The Pit and pushed forward improvements at University Stadium. He said in a university release, "We are going to build something here that this entire state is proud of — in competition, in the classroom, and in this community. "
Coaches and administrators have framed the hire around recent on-field results: football coach Jason Eck's nine victories and bowl berth and men's basketball coach Eric Olen's 22-7 record and an NCAA tournament projection as an No. 11 seed were cited as signs of momentum. Olen offered congratulations and said Berryman "understands what coaches need" and shares the same vision for new mexico basketball.
The university made the announcement with a video of Berryman walking down the Pit ramp and pausing at the middle of Bob King Court to tell fans, "As a kid from the East Mountains, New Mexico has shaped everything I am today. There is no place like home. And we must continue to share the power of this place with the world. It is the honor of my lifetime to serve as your next athletic director at the University of New Mexico. Go Lobos!"
Berryman's promotion came as UNM highlighted recent successes across multiple programs, including additional national championships in track and cross country over the past year and a half. One of his first tasks will be to continue implementing the department's plans following the hires that produced the 9-win football season and the men's basketball team's push toward the NCAA tournament; Eric Olen's team was preparing for its final home game of the season in the Pit against Colorado State when the announcement was made.
Stokes said the decision was clear because of Berryman's vision, ability to execute and the trust he built on campus. Berryman will move from interim to full-time athletic director immediately and lead the department into its next scheduled competitions and administrative calendar.
