ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The 34th head football coach for UNM, Jason Eck, met with applause Tuesday morning.

The new coach, coming from the University of Idaho, is stepping in following former head coach Bronco Mendenhall’s exit for Utah State after one season with the Lobos.

“Many of our players shared insight with me about the search and what they would like in their new football coach and I never lost sight of that during the process,” said UNM vice president and director of athletics Fernando Lovo.

UNM student Julian Renteria said he is optimistic for the new coach’s chances.

“I think he is a great hire for the program,” Renteria said. “I have two friends that play on the team and they both contacted me and say they are ready to get to work with him. He has a good resume at Idaho, so I am really looking forward to seeing what this team brings this season.”

Lovo said it was Eck’s resume and track record of rebuilding teams that made him a top contender.

“Coach Eck’s accomplishments speak for themselves,” Lovo said. “He is one of only six college coaches who has led an FCS team to the playoffs in each of the last three years. He led Idaho to a 26-13 overall record during his tenure, including two trips to the FCS quarterfinals while playing a top 10 strength of schedule every year.”

As for Eck, he saw the step up in competition as an opportunity to build something the UNM football program hasn’t experienced in years.

“I really do, just like Fernando said, I see this as an opportunity,” Eck said. “There is an opportunity to do something that has not been done in New Mexico in a long time.”

He’s also well aware of what he is stepping into — a team that has seen three head coaches in three years.

“We are going to do a great job investing in these guys, supporting them,” Eck said. “We are going to put a great staff together here, a mix of guys that I worked with in the past and also some guys that will get us some key recruiting ties that are important down in this area.”

Eck said he is ready to adapt to this new age of college football, creating a staff and team that the community can really rally around.

“The foundation of our program is championship behavior,” Eck said. “I believe you have to act like a champion before you are ever going to become a champion and get a ring on your finger. It is how you do things in every aspect of your life.”

Students we spoke to say he’s the guy for the job.

“I think we have a lot of talent even with the departure of the quarterback, Devon Dampier, I think we have a of good guys coming into the program,” Renteria said. “I think he is going to hit that portal hard and we are going to get a lot of good transfers this season.”