Unm Basketball: Ryan Berryman, 32, named University of New Mexico athletic director
Ryan Berryman was selected on Wednesday to be the University of New Mexico’s vice president and director of athletics, a hometown hire whose roots run back through unm basketball camps and a stint as a student manager for the men’s program.
Unm Basketball roots and rise
Berryman, a New Mexico native and three-time UNM graduate, began his career with the Lobos as a student manager in 2012 and even did laundry for the men’s basketball team, contributing to back-to-back Mountain West Championships, the university said. In a video posted by the school, he walked down the Pit ramp and told fans, “As a kid from the East Mountains, New Mexico has shaped everything I am today. There is no place like home. ”
Selection, contract and endorsements
The choice was made by UNM President Garnett S. Stokes after a two-month national search assisted by Parker Executive Search. Stokes said, “This search confirmed what Lobo Athletics has in Ryan Berryman, ” and praised his vision and the trust he has built. Berryman signed a five-year deal; financial details were not released. He had been serving as interim athletic director since January and succeeds Fernando Lovo, who left in late December to take the same position at the University of Colorado.
Early moves as director and interim achievements
During his interim period, Berryman led efforts to improve University Stadium and secured a 10-year naming rights partnership with Nusenda Credit Union. He had previously served as deputy AD and chief operating officer after being brought back at the recommendation of then-AD Fernando Lovo. Eric Olen, the Lobos’ first-year men’s basketball coach, said, “His leadership, work ethic and commitment to Lobo athletics is obvious to everyone, ” comments made hours ahead of his team’s final home game in the Pit against Colorado State.
Administratively, Berryman served as a governor-appointed student regent, was the Lobos’ director of basketball operations before graduating, and was an ace student in UNM’s Anderson School of Management. He worked under Eddie Nuñez when Nuñez was senior associate AD and chief operating officer; Nuñez left in August 2024 for the University of Washington after 12 years at UNM.
Transition in leadership and what comes next
Berryman’s appointment returns an alumnus to the top of the athletics department; school officials made the hire official with a social media post that included his remarks from the Pit. Over the past year and a half, the hiring and success of first-year football coach Jason Eck and first-year men’s basketball coach Eric Olen, along with national championships by UNM track and cross country athletes, helped reinvigorate fans. Berryman said, “I have watched this department grow through some hard years and some remarkable ones, and I believe with everything I have that the best days are ahead. ”
His selection comes just before the Lobos’ final home game of the men’s basketball season against Colorado State in the Pit, a confirmed event referenced during the announcement. The university has set Berryman’s five-year contract in motion, and recovery of day-to-day operations and continued stadium improvements are expected to proceed under his leadership as he moves from interim to permanent director.
