UTEP athletic director talks about new season on ABC-7 Xtra

UTEP starts the new football season with a game against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks on September 1 at the Sun Bowl.

The Miners are working to recover from 2017’s disappointing season.

Last night on ABC-7 Xtra, UTEP Athletic Director Jim Senter discussed what’s ahead for the new season.

Senter took over for long-time UTEP Athletic Director Bob Stoll last November.

Stoll retired after the UTEP Miners produced a 0-12 season in 2017. In the middle of that season, UTEP’s head football coach, Sean Kugler, stepped down, leaving UTEP coaching legend, Mike Price, to finish out the season.

And to top it all off, UTEP also lost their basketball coach.

But a new year is bringing fresh blood and new hope. Senter’s first hire when he took the job was Dana Dimel to be the new head football coach.

“One of the biggest things we are trying to do is every time we take the field, expect to win. And by expecting to win, our guys have to have a confidence that comes from great preparation,” Dimel said. “The only way you can get great confidence is preparation. So we’re trying to show them that we’re going to prepare at a high, high level so when they take the field they have that confidence.”

But both Senter and Dimel say Miner fans are an important part of their winning game plan.

“When people talk to us about, ‘Gosh, I’ll give,’ or ‘I’ll come when you guys start getting better and start winning,’ the truth is we can’t win and get better unless people help us get there,” Senter said.

Senter insisted on ABC-7 Xtra last night that UTEP can’t be UTEP “without you.”