Paul Weir Should Not Be Blamed for Leaving NMSU for UNM

In college sports, the unwritten rule is that in-state rivals do not poach each other for head coaches or players. Early this morning, that rule went out the window in the state of New Mexico. Paul Weir, the 37-year old head coach of the NMSU Aggies, is changes addresses and moving from Las Cruces to Albuquerque.

The fact that UNM suddenly fired Craig Neal after they publicly stated weeks earlier that he would return makes you wonder about Paul Krebs' ability to run the UNM Athletic Department. Krebs targeted San Antonio Spurs assistant James Borrego, but he turned down a chance to return to his hometown and coach New Mexico in order to stay with the Spurs. After that development, Krebs turned his attention to Weir and acted quickly. UNM will be able to offer him three to four times the salary he was making at NMSU, and he will move to a better basketball league in the Mountain West Conference. If Weir was offered a substantial raise by the Aggies and he still left for the rival Lobos, he would be public enemy #1 in Las Cruces. However, leaving for a better job in a better league when your employer refuses to increase your salary is a no-brainer, even if you break the unwritten rule of moving to your in-state rival. Sadly, we are reminded that NMSU president Garrey Carruthers and his Board of Regents will not commit additional salary to protect their most prized coaches. The Las Cruces community is so disappointed with the university for their lack of financial commitment to athletics, it makes the job of Athletic Director Mario Moccia one of the toughest in the nation. Former NMSU Board of Regents member Bob Gallagher voiced his frustration last night.