UTEP, EP Chihuahuas team up to help land recruits

They say teamwork makes the dream work, and for a UTEP football program trying to erase last year’s 0-12 season, teamwork is what it is going to take to impress recruits.

For the first time, UTEP and the El Paso Chihuahuas teamed up to hold recruiting dinners at Southwest University Park.

Chihuahuas General Manager Brad Taylor said he’d been wanting to work with UTEP before. This year, it finally happened under UTEP’s new head football coach Dana Dimel.

“The idea is to show these guys how great our city is,” Taylor said. “We have an exceptional campus at UTEP, but what else is there?”

The recruits weren’t the only ones impressed by the ballpark, their parents also liked what they saw.

“I think they felt good about it,” Taylor said. “If their son is going to be playing football here, it’s cool for them to see that they have other things that can add to their quality of life.”

The night of the first dinner, Dimel posted a photo on Twitter of him at Southwest University Park. He also thanked the Chihuahuas organization for hosting the event. Dimel says it’s important to work together to help showcase the city.

“I just think it says so much about what the town has to offer and that’s so important for us to sell to the kids,” Dimel said. “This town has so many cool things and when they see that professional environment and what it brings to the city, they get excited.”

Dimel will announce his first recruiting class on Wednesday.