Suffice it to say, Mike Locksley‘s short tenure at New Mexico has been filled with just about everything except on-the-field results. The head coach has already been involved in allegations of punching an assistant coach in the face and sexual harassment.
(Just a heads up, the sexual harassment link dates way, way back to our early, non-featured image, one big ol’ paragraph days. You have been warned.)
Now, there’s another bizarre incident that appears to have pushed New Mexico’s administration to their limit. A source close to the situation has informed CBSSports’ Dennis Dodd that UNM has fired Locksley after four games into his third season. The university later confirmed the dismissal.
The Lobos’ record by itself is worthy of termination -- UNM is 2-26 under Locksley and was 0-4 to start this season -- but in what capacity Locksley was involved in the following “borrowed car” story is a perplexing cherry on top of what has been a dismal few years for UNM football.
KOB Channel 4 in Albuquerque reports that a 19-year-old teenager by the name of Joshua Butts was pulled over Saturday evening after reportedly almost hitting a pedestrian on his way to University Stadium to see New Mexico host Sam Houston State.
When pulled over by police, Butts showed signs of being intoxicated and stumbled out of the car, which the university states is registered to Locksley’s wife and son, Meiko, a walk-on for UNM.
Butts was ultimately arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Furthermore, according to the police report, Butts stated “Mr. Locksley brought him from Chicago to play and gave him the vehicle to use.” New Mexico has since issued a statement that reads “On Saturday, a friend of UNM football player Meiko Locksley was arrested on the suspicion of driving while intoxicated. The suspect had borrowed the car of Meiko Locksley, which is registered to Kia and Meiko Locksley.
“The suspect, Joshua Butts, is not a recruit, not a member of the UNM football program or the athletics department.”
KOB also has video of the incident HERE.
To top the whole thing off, New Mexico actually lost to 1-AA opponent Sam Houston State yesterday -- the game Butts was supposedly driving to see.