A NEW COACH FOR UNM LOBO MEN'S BASKETBALL. ATHLETIC DIRECTOR PAUL KREBS ANNOUNCED ON TUESDAY THAT FORMER ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH CRAIG NEAL WILL STEP INTO THE SHOES FILLED BY STEVE ALFORD BEFORE HE LEFT TO BE HEAD COACH AT UCLA. NEAL WILL BE OFFICIALLY INTRODUCED AS UNM'S NEW HEAD BASKETBALL COACH AT A NEWS CONFERENCE WEDNESDAY.
NEAL HAS SPENT THE PAST SIX YEARS AT UNM, AND THE THREE SEASONS BEFORE THAT WITH ALFORD IN IOWA. HE ALSO SPENT EIGHT SEASONS WITH THE NBA'S TORONTO RAPTORS.
UNM'S NAMING OF NEAL AS HEAD COACH CAME ON THE SAME DAY ALFORD WAS PUBLICLY INTRODUCED AS UCLA'S HEAD COACH IN LOS ANGELES. ALFORD UNDERWENT SOME TOUGH GRILLING BY L.A. REPORTERS. THEY ASKED HIM ABOUT HIS DEFENSE OF AN IOWA PLAYER ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND ALFORD ALLEGEDLY BULLYING THE VICTIM FROM TESTIFYING. ALFORD SAID HE WAS FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FROM SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AT THE TIME.
