Good match for SMU AD...or at least template

[RGV Pony]

Story says he's retiring in August '06, and he's 67, but who knows...for the right arrangement, what's another 5 years? Rudy Davalos has seen New Mexico through a lot of improvement and change...some more popular than others. Him or someone like him is what SMU needs. Maybe there's an assoc. AD that's learned from Davalos. He expanded the football stadium from 30,000 to 40,000 when no one said it could be done, and now there's a bball practice facility built.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005 -Albuquerque Journal

UNM Boss of Athletics to Retire

By Mark Smith
Journal Staff Writer
Rudy Davalos' sometimes controversial, never boring, and in many ways successful run as athletic director of the University of New Mexico ends Aug. 31.
Davalos, who can be abrasive, charming, an in-your-face politician and a down-home good-old boy, announced his resignation Tuesday after 13 years at the post.
His contract runs through 2007, but he said it was just time.
"Why now?" he said at a news conference attended by around 100 people at the Tow Diehm Facility. "Why any time? ... Do you go when things are going good, or wait until they're going down? You can stay too long or stay too short. This is the right time, it feels right."
Jamie Koch, president of the UNM board of regents, said a successor would be named by June 1, with Davalos remaining until the end of August to create a smooth transition. He said a search committee would be assembled, but he has no target date for that.
Koch also announced that the new Lobos basketball practice facility will be named after Davalos.
With his wife of 25 years, Gail, seated by his side, Davalos, who will be 67 in November, said he had contemplated retirement for some time.
Gail said he made up his mind Saturday.
Davalos called his position "a wonderful job" but said handling the fishbowl aspect takes tough skin.
While some questioned his methods, Lobos sports skyrocketed under Davalos, none more so than football. Besides going from doormat to a yearly Mountain West Conference contender on the field, University Stadium was renovated. That helped attract an average of 40,509 for three games this season, with a school-record 44,760 on hand for the New Mexico State contest.
In 1991, UNM averaged 15,822 fans with 4,390 season tickets sold. This year, 17,404 season tickets were sold.
Academically, the Lobos' 21 sports compiled a school-record 3.05 grade point average in the fall of 2004 and have been better than 3.0 for six straight semesters.
Prior to 1992, the best-ever GPA was 2.73.
New Mexico finished 48th nationally in the Sports Academy Director's Cup (top all-around athletic programs), in 2004-05, its second-best ranking ever. It was second in the MWC.
UNM was just one of 11 NCAA Division-I schools to have its football team play in a bowl game and have both its men's and women's basketball teams qualify for the NCAA Tournament last season.
One decision that didn't work out well for Davalos was the hiring of former men's basketball coach Fran Fraschilla. After four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament's second round prior to Fraschilla's arrival, the Lobos suffered through three seasons of on- and off-the-court embarrassments under Fraschilla before his ouster in 2002. On Tuesday, Davalos said while that move didn't work out, "I made a lot of good hires, too. A lot of great hires."

[Hoop Fan]

I see Frachilla all over Dallas these days. Seems like an ok guy. He is probably happy with Espn, but New Mexico sure did kill his coaching career.