The New Mexico Lobos did not wait long to name a new men’s basketball head coach, hiring UC San Diego’s Eric Olen to take over the program Sunday morning.

Olen spent 12 years as the head coach of the Tritons, leading the team in its transition from Division II to Division I, culminating in a 30-win season and the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance this year.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Eric Olen as the new head coach of Lobo Men’s Basketball,” said UNM director of Athletics Fernando Lovo in a statement. “Eric is a proven winner with an incredible track record. Beyond the accolades and success on the court, he is a values-driven leader who puts student-athletes first. We’re confident he’ll bring tremendous energy and vision to our program. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Eric, his wife Lauren, and their daughters Avery and Madeline — we’re excited to have them join the Lobo family here in Albuquerque.”

Olen succeeds Richard Pitino as the Lobos’ 23rd head coach. Pitino left to take over the program at Xavier University.

Olen had a record of 240-119 at UCSD, making him the program’s all-time winningest coach. This season the Tritons went 30-5 and won the Big West Conference regular season and tournament titles. Olen was named Big West Coach of the Year.

The Tritons had a KenPom ranking of 39 and were No. 31 in the final NET rankings, the highest marks by any team outside the Power-5 conferences. They ranked second in the country in scoring margin.

During his first seven seasons as UCSD head coach, Olen led the Tritons to five NCAA Division II tournament appearances. They were the No. 1 seed in the West Region going into the 2020 tournament, which ended up being canceled by the COVID pandemic. Prior to Olen taking over the program, UCSD had only made one tournament appearance.

Olen will arriving Monday at 5:50 p.m. at Cutter Aviation. He will hold a press conference Tuesday at noon at the Davalos Center. The public is welcome to attend that. Parking will be at Pit West. You can enter through the southwest entrance. Doors open at 11:30 a.m.