New Mexico Official Athletic Site

Vice-President for Athletics - Paul Krebs

From the Desk of Paul Krebs

Paul Krebs is in his sixth year as the University of New Mexico’s 12th director of athletics. He was named to the position on March 13, 2006, and began serving UNM on June 1, 2006. Krebs has been a part of President David Schmidly’s Executive Cabinet since the spring of 2007 when he was named Vice-President for Athletics.

In just five years, Krebs has installed a diverse strategic plan – with short and long-range goals – that once carried out will position the University of New Mexico to be a major player in the challenging and competitive world of intercollegiate athletics.

Given the necessary resources, Krebs feels New Mexico programs should compete for conference championships and national recognition in every sport and rank in the top-50 in the U.S. Sports Academy Directors Cup on an annual basis. UNM is off to a good start under his leadership:

ACADEMICS / STUDENT WELFARE

UNM’s hard-working athletes have reached a GPA of 3.05 or higher for seven consecutive semesters. Lobos have been 3.00 or better for 17 of the past 18 grading periods. The Lobo athlete continues to perform in the classroom at a higher rate than the average student.

The Lobos posted 68 graduates during the 2010-11 season. There were 126 UNM student-athletes named MWC Scholar-Athlete recipients, the most of any school in the league. There were 102 Lobos on the Spring 2011 MWC All-Academic Team and 60 on the 2010 Fall team. Here are a few more academic highs posted in 2010-11:

-- Men’s basketball: Posted its seventh straight semester with a GPA of 2.71 or higher.

-- Women’s basketball: Continued its streak of posting a 3.00 or better every semester since spring of 2001.

-- Football: Had 13 MW All-Academic selections, its most in the Locksley era.

-- Men’s golf: Posted its seventh and eighth consecutive semesters of a 3.0 or better with a 3.37 and a 3.33.

-- Women’s golf: A 3.05 or higher for 20 straight semesters; 3.01 or higher 30 of past 31 terms. Had two of the department’s top three GPAs with a 3.68 fall GPA and a 3.67 in the spring.

-- Men’s skiing: Now has 16 straight semesters of a 3.25 or better, including a fall GPA of 3.61 that led all male sports at UNM.

-- Women’s skiing: A 3.28 or higher for 21 straight grading periods and a department-best 3.76 in the fall.

-- Men’s soccer: A 3.12 or higher 12 of past 15 semesters.

-- Women’s soccer: Has posted 13 consecutive semesters of 3.16 or better.

-- Swimming/diving: A 3.28 or higher for 11 consecutive semesters.

-- Women’s tennis: Has had a 3.05 GPA or higher for 37 straight semesters.

-- Men’s track: Had a 3.08 fall GPA, its third straight 3.0 semester.

-- Women’s track: Has posted 3.25 GPA or higher for 15 straight semesters.

-- Volleyball: Had a 1 3.61 fall GPA, the second-highest in school history, 18 straight terms at 3.06 or higher.

• UNM’s four highest semester grade-point-averages have been attained in the past eight terms: a school-record 3.14 in the fall of 2008, 3.12 in the spring and fall of the 2009 and 3.11 in the spring of 2008…UNM has been tracking grades since the fall of 1988.

• UNM’s Student Development staff has nearly doubled in size, including the addition of a learning specialist and a clinical psychologist.

• In the spring of 2009, all academic services for UNM student-athletes moved into the Student Support and Services Center conveniently located close to the athletics department offices and facilities.

• Created the Lobo Leadership Institute, a career-enhancing program that links influential speakers with UNM student-athletes.

• All 21 programs achieved the NCAA’s 9125 APR threshold for the first time in school history.

• UNM’s graduation rates – as calculated by the NCAA - all increased from 2008 to 2009, some to record levels:

• UNM’s Graduation Success Rate (GSR) was a school-record 72% in 2009...that is a 7% increase from 2008…the NCAA initiated the rate in 2005.

• The latest graduation rate for all scholarship freshmen (entering UNM in 2002-03) is 55%, a 5% increase from 2008.

• UNM’s 4-class average – the average graduation rate from 2006-09 - improves to 49% from 44% last year.

• The graduation rate for all UNM students is 44%.

FACILITIES

• The key component is titled the Master Plan, a project that has architects and Lobo staffers working tirelessly to design and eventually overhaul facilities on UNM’s South Campus...the end result will be an interactive Lobo “neighborhood” that benefits student-athletes, coaches and fans...it’s an ambitious project with a price tag approaching $100 million.

• Completed a $60 million renovation to The Pit, which added new seats, club seats, a suite level, and a graphics program that showcases the history of UNM athletics. The Pit after the renovations hosted the 201 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds, and will host the 2012 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Second and Third Rounds.

• Completed in the past 50 months are a $7 million indoor practice facility located south of University Stadium, major enhancements at the Lobo softball field and soccer/track and field complex, and renovations to the End Zone Club at University Stadium.

PERSONNEL

Krebs has also hired new coaches for baseball (Ray Birmingham), cross country/track and field (Joe Franklin), women’s basketball (Yvonna Sanchez), women’s golf (Jill Trujillo), skiing (Fredrik Landstedt), softball (Erica Beach), women’s tennis (Roy Canada) and volleyball (Jeff Nelson).

COMPETITION / PERFORMANCE / ATTENDANCE (2006-11)

• UNM ranked 57th in the nation in the final Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup for 2010-11, fourth amongst all non-BCS schools… the Lobos received points from men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor track, skiing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, volleyball, women’s golf and baseball in 2010-11…UNM’s highest finish all-time is 43rd in 1995-96.

• The Lobos had a record fall season with five teams achieving postseason status, including a first-time appearance in women’s soccer. Overall 14 of UNM’s 21 sports saw postseason action.

• The Lobos have won 18 conference championships, 16 in the past three years, which is the most in school history for a four-year span.

• UNM has been represented at NCAA postseason competition 50 times

• A school-record nine student-athletes named Athlete of the Year in their respective sport in 2008-09, more than any other school in the Mountain West Conference.

• Back-to-back bowl games for Lobo football (2006-07).

• UNM finished in the top 25 in NCAA attendance in men’s soccer, women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball in 2010-11.

FUND-RAISING / REVENUE GENERATION

• Signed an eight-year deal with Learfield Sports, significantly increasing the school’s marketing revenue from corporate sponsorships and broadcast rights

• Signed a six-year contract with Nike as the sole provider/outfitter for UNM athletics teams, nearly four times the previous agreement

• The Lobo Club - UNM’s fundraising arm for athletics scholarships - set records in 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2010-11 for total members and contributions.

Krebs began his professional career in collegiate athletics as the Assistant Ticket Director at the University of Oklahoma in 1981. He was promoted to Ticket Director in 1983.

A native of Canfield, Ohio, Krebs earned a bachelor’s degree in Business from Bowling Green in 1978 and a master’s degree in Athletic Administration from Ohio State in 1981.

Nationally, Krebs is currently a member of the NCAA Football Issues Committee, the Mountain West Conference’s Bowl Committee and he serves as the liaison to the MWC football coaches.