Battle of I-25: UNM coach Paul Weir faces off against former team, NMSU

University of New Mexico basketball coach Paul Weir takes on his former team, New Mexico State University, in the Battle of I-25.

“Hopefully it’s going to be an awesome game,” Weir said, taking the hardwood with his team to practice. “It’s really about the student athletes, the Lobos and the Aggies, it’s been a rivalry for a long time and I am really excited to be a part of it.”

Weir returns to the Pan-American Center after leaving the Aggies in April to coach the Lobos. The former Aggies coach led the team to a program record of 28 wins in his only season as head coach, which made him a hot coaching candidate.

He is the first person to coach both UNM and NMSU.

“To me it was just an opportunity of a lifetime and one I just couldn’t pass up,” Weir told reporters in April. “I get that, you know, there are feelings hurt. And for that I apologize. I’m sorry to those people. But this was just too good of an opportunity for me.”

Weir is making $625,000 per year in base salary with UNM. He was making $250,000 a year with the Aggies.

Fans we spoke with at the game had mixed emotions about Weir’s return.

“It’s tricky,” one Lobos fan said. “We stole a great coach from a great program, but it’s nice to have him and we really appreciate it.

“It’s betrayal,” one Aggies fan said. “I think it is sad that he left but I think the Aggies will still win.”

The Aggies trumped their former coach in a win over the Lobos, 75-56 the final.

Aggies are now 2-1 on the season.