Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Dec 26, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New Mexico Lobos head coach Jason Eck with quarterback Jack Layne (2) against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field.
If you were painting a picture of what a top up-and-coming college football coaching prospect looks like in 2026, you probably wouldn’t think of somebody like New Mexico Lobos head coach Jason Eck.
Eck is a 49-year-old from Wisconsin who played offensive line for the Badgers in college and then spent nearly two decades coaching offensive line at mostly FCS programs.
In 2022, he got his first chance to be a head coach with the Idaho Vandals, and he hasn’t looked back.
Eck went 7-5 in his first season, reaching the FCS playoffs one year after the Vandals went just 4-7. He then went 9-4 in year two and 10-4 in year three, reaching the FCS playoff quarterfinals each time.
That was enough to earn him the head coaching job at New Mexico, where he went 9-4 in his first season in charge after taking over a 5-7 team.
This year, the Lobos are 7-1, ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time in school history, and staring down a potential College Football Playoff spot.
That success has earned Eck the attention of programs all across America. But is Eck looking to leave Albuquerque?
Everybody wants Jason Eck. He won’t promise he’s staying at New Mexico. He won’t lie about it either.
“If I ever leave here, I’m going to be very selective.”
23 years as an assistant. 12 head coaches. 5 kids. Years of debt. The Era of Eck is here.
📝 https://t.co/3m3naXiey9 https://t.co/eVuGassbLq
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) November 5, 2026
Jason Eck Says He’s Open To Other Jobs, But There’s A Catch
One reason that Eck has had so much success as a head coach is his authenticity. Most coaches at smaller programs evade the question when asked about the idea of taking a Power Four job. Or, worse, they talk about how committed they are to the program they’re at, only to turn around and leave anyway.
But not Eck. In a recent interview with Brandon Marcello of CBS Sports, the topic of other jobs inevitably came up, and Eck was extraordinarily honest.
“I never want to do that and lie to people and say something that isn’t true,” Eck said. “I just know this: I think I have a great job. This community has really rallied behind our team and given us great support, and if I ever leave here, I’m going to be very selective. It’s going to have to be an incredible opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.”
Odds are, if Eck continues to succeed at the rate he has with New Mexico, he’ll have bigger opportunities. And he’s not shutting down the idea of taking one of those opportunities.
But Eck isn’t going to leave the Lobos for just any old program, and that’s about all New Mexico fans could reasonably ask for.