Well, this is certainly an unexpected development.
Nearly 10 years after being fired by Notre Dame, Bob Davie has found his way back to the collegiate coaching game. According to ESPN.com‘s Joe Schad via Twitter, Davie has been hired as New Mexico’s head coach.
The school has yet to confirm the hiring, although an official announcement on a new hire is expected at some point Thursday, a UNM official said this afternoon.
The Lobos were the first Div. 1-A program to make a coaching change this offseason, firing controversial head coach Mike Locksley during the last week of September. Paul Krebs, UNM’s athletic director, had publicly stated earlier this month that the focus of their search would be on former or current head coaches such as Mike Leach and Jim Leavitt and Glen Mason, who announced on Twitter that he was not interested in the job.
To say the least, the move to bring in a new coach who has been away from the game on the field for a decade qualifies as more than just a minor shock. Davie is currently an analyst on ESPN college football telecasts, and has not coached in any capacity since 2001.
UPDATED 2:18 p.m. ET: New Mexico has confirmed the Davie hiring. The Lobos are planning to officially introduce Davie at a press conference, slated for 3:30 p.m. local time Thursday.