UNM announces new staff

University of New Mexico football coach Bob Davie has completed his first coaching staff with the Lobos. The staff includes two former Lobo coaches back with the program, as well as coaches coming from BCS programs such as Florida, Illinois, Arizona State, Texas A&M and Washington, as well as Football Championship Subdivision national runner-up Sam Houston State.

The new staff includes: Bob DeBesse (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Ron West (defensive coordinator/inside linebackers), DeAndre Smith (running backs), Jason Lenzmeier (offensive line), Derek Warehime (tight ends), Taylor Stubblefield (wide receivers), Jeff Mills (defensive backs), Coleman Hutzler (outside linebackers/special teams) and Archie McDaniel (defensive line).

Davie's first staff also features Ben Hilgart (strength and conditioning coordinator) and Brian DeSpain (director of football operations).

"We have put a staff together that I think has the potential to be a great fit for the University of New Mexico and our players," Davie said. "We all share the same vision and understand the challenge that is ahead of us."

DeBesse has familiarity with the Lobos, having coached against them last season as Sam Houston State's offensive coordinator.

The Bearkats went 14-1 in 2011, finishing as the Football Championship Subdivision runners-up. DeBesse also worked as an assistant at Texas A&M, Purdue, Minnesota and TCU. At Purdue, he coached wide receiver and current Lobo assistant Taylor Stubblefield, who left the Boilermakers as the NCAA's all-time leader in receptions. DeBesse also has been a head coach, spending five seasons at Southwest Texas State (now Texas State).

West spent the last two seasons as linebackers coach at Illinois, which finished No. 3 in passing defense (162.3 yards allowed per game) and No. 8 in total defense (299.5 yards allowed) in 2011. He also served as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Tulsa. The bulk of his coaching experience came during his 10-year stint Clemson, teaching both offense and defense. West helped Clemson finish in the top 25 nationally in total (18th) and passing defense (12th) in 2008. At Tulane, he helped the Green Wave to a 12-0 season in 1998.

Smith begins his second tour of duty with the Lobos, having coached at UNM in 2008. He spent the last two seasons at the University of Illinois as running back coach. Smith has produced eight 1,000-yard rushers during his coaching career, including Lobo Rodney Ferguson, the Illini's Mikel Leshoure and Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe.

Lenzmeier's football career has landed him at New Mexico for the third time. He was a four-year starter at offensive tackle for the Lobos (2000-03) and an All-Mountain West first-team selection his senior season. Lenzmeier returned to UNM in 2006 as a graduate assistant before being promoted to offensive line coach from 2007-08. He coached Lobo All-MWC linemen Vince Natali and Devin Clark. New Mexico State's offensive line coach the past three seasons, Lenzmeier mentored Davonte Wallace to second-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors last season.

Warehime visited University Stadium with DeBesse and Sam Houston State in September. He was offensive line for a Bearkats unit that averaged 255.9 rushing yards and scored 46 TDs last season. He was a graduate assistant at both Tulsa (2005) and Rice (2007) before moving on to Arkansas-Monticello, where he ascended to offensive coordinator during his second season in 2009. Warehime was a four-year starting center at Tulsa and earned All-Western Athletic Conference honors his senior year.

Stubblefield reunites with DeBesse, his position coach at Purdue. Stubblefield had 175 receptions for 1,930 yards and 19 touchdowns during the 2003 and '04 seasons combined under DeBesse, on his way to a then-NCAA record 316 career receptions. Stubblefield coached Illinois State's Eyad Salem to a school-record 92 receptions in 2009 and then helped the Central Michigan freshmen tandem of Cody Wilson and Titus Davis to 88 receptions for 1,277 yards and 11 TDs in 2011.

Mills was the secondary coach at the University of Washington from 2009-11. In 2010, the Huskies finished second in the Pac-10 in passing defense by allowing 194.4 yards per game. Mills also has experience as a defensive coordinator, holding that position at Youngstown State, Idaho and Nevada. While coaching Idaho in 1998, Mills guided a unit that led the Big West in sacks and scoring defense. The Vandals won the conference that season.

Hutzler has coached under some of the biggest names in college football during his brief career. He was a defensive and special teams assistant under Florida coaches Urban Meyer and Will Muschamp in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Before that, he served under current San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh at Stanford (2007-09) and the University of San Diego (2006). As a player at Middlebury (Vt.) College from 2002-05, Hutzler finished his career as the school's second leading tackler with 246 stops.

McDaniel arrives at UNM following two years at the University of Tulsa, where he coached the defensive tackles last season. During his playing career, McDaniel was a three-year starter at linebacker for Texas A&M. As an Aggie, he recorded 213 career tackles.

Hilgart comes to UNM after a seven-year stay at Arizona State, where he was the athletic department's head sports performance coach from 2008-11. Fourteen former Sun Devils who trained under Hilgart were on NFL rosters in 2011. Prior to his time at Arizona State, Hilgart spent three seasons in the strength and conditioning program at Ohio State.

DeSpain starts at New Mexico after working at Texas A&M, his alma mater, from 2008-11. He began in the Aggies' sports information department and transferred to the football office the next year as a football operations and recruiting assistant. DeSpain has a master's degree in education administration from Texas A&M. In three years with the Texas A&M football program, DeSpain helped the Aggies sign three consecutive national top 25 recruiting classes as well as coordinated the team's trips to the Independence Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Texas Bowl.