Unm Basketball and a hometown rise: Ryan Berryman takes over UNM athletics with the Pit still echoing
The concrete ramp into the Pit can feel like a tunnel into memory, and it’s there—on Bob King Court—that Unm Basketball becomes more than a program name. In a university video, Ryan Berryman walks down the ramp, stops at midcourt, and speaks like someone returning to a place that raised him: “As a kid from the East Mountains, New Mexico has shaped everything I am today. ”
What happened at UNM, and why does it matter now?
On Wednesday, the University of New Mexico selected 32-year-old New Mexico native Ryan Berryman to be the university’s director of athletics, removing his interim title after he had served as interim AD since January. UNM President Garnett S. Stokes made the selection after a two-month national search conducted with the assistance of Parker Executive Search.
Berryman signed a five-year deal. Financial details were not released.
“This search confirmed what Lobo Athletics has in Ryan Berryman, ” Stokes said. “He was evaluated against an outstanding field of candidates, and he stood above them. His vision for this department, his proven ability to execute, and the trust he has already built here made this decision clear. We are fortunate that the right person for this job is already a Lobo. ”
The change comes after a period of leadership turnover. Berryman succeeds Fernando Lovo, who left in late December to take the same position at the University of Colorado. Lovo had taken over for Eddie Nuñez, whom Berryman worked under as a senior associate AD and chief operating officer before Nuñez left for the University of Washington in August 2024 after 12 years at UNM.
Who is Ryan Berryman beyond the job title?
In the details of Berryman’s résumé, UNM is less a stop than a throughline. He attended basketball camps at the University of New Mexico as a young boy. As a student, he did laundry for the Lobo men’s basketball team as a student manager, later serving as the Lobos director of basketball operations before graduating.
Academically, UNM points to a record built alongside athletics: he was an ace student in UNM’s Anderson School of Management and served as the school’s governor-appointed student regent. UNM also described him as a three-time UNM graduate.
That combination—camp kid, student manager, operations staffer, senior administrator—helps explain why Berryman’s introduction was staged in the Pit rather than a boardroom. It frames his promotion as a local arc, not merely a personnel move, in a department whose identity is tightly braided with community pride.
How does this connect to Unm Basketball and the wider athletic department?
Unm Basketball sits at the center of the public image of Lobo Athletics, and Berryman’s past work in the men’s program makes his selection feel personal to coaches and fans alike. Men’s basketball coach Eric Olen, speaking hours ahead of his team’s final home game of the season in the Pit against Colorado State, tied Berryman’s appointment to shared priorities.
“Congratulations to Ryan on becoming our new athletic director, ” Olen said. “His leadership, work ethic and commitment to Lobo athletics is obvious to everyone. We have the same vision for New Mexico basketball and I’m excited to continue working with Ryan to make that a reality. It’s a great day to be a Lobo!”
Over the past year and a half, UNM has pointed to results that have energized the fan base: the hiring and success of first-year football coach Jason Eck, the hiring and success of first-year men’s basketball coach Eric Olen, and national championships collected by UNM track and cross country stars.
For Berryman, the job now is to turn that burst of momentum into something stable—something that holds even when seasons turn. “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, ” Berryman said in a school release. “We are going to build something here that this entire state is proud of — in competition, in the classroom, and in this community. I can’t wait to get back to work!”
What has Berryman already done as interim AD, and what responses are underway?
During his interim period, UNM said Berryman led efforts connected to improvements at University Stadium and secured a 10-year naming rights partnership with Nusenda Credit Union.
His longer internal track record also reflects institutional confidence. One of the first moves Fernando Lovo made, upon recommendations from several, was to bring back Berryman, who was hired as deputy AD and chief operations officer. Those roles placed him inside the operational machinery of the department before the interim appointment in January—and now before the full-time selection on Wednesday.
The university formalized the announcement with a social media post and the video of Berryman in the Pit, a modern ritual for a major college sports decision. The imagery is deliberate: a leader introduced not just to donors or staff, but to the stands, the court, and the state beyond the arena doors.
In the Pit video, Berryman’s message lands as both gratitude and directive: “There is no place like home. And we must continue to share the power of this place with the world. ” The line reads like a thesis statement for the next phase—building competitiveness while protecting what makes the program and the department feel like New Mexico.
Image caption (alt text): Ryan Berryman stands on Bob King Court at the Pit after being named athletics director, a role closely watched by Unm Basketball fans.
