Just after the conclusion of the 2019 season, a season marked by Bob Davie's hospitalization with health issues just after the season opening win before losing 10 of their next 11 games, Davie and the school mutually agreed to part ways.
But according to new information gathered by the Albuquerque Journal, tensions had been growing between Davie and school administration for some time.
Before the season opener, Davie hand-delivered a memo to UNM president Garnett Stokes with a list of concerns heading into the season, and many of them weren't being brought up for the first time.
Those concerns listed a number of things, ranging from as small as not having enough trombones in the school's marching band forcing them to cancel the traditional "Lobo Walk," to perceived preferential treatment of the school's basketball coach and big ticket items like scholarship checks to players being late.
“My reason is to try to find solutions, because I have a responsibility to our team and coaching staff," Davie shared in his memo.
Those late scholarship checks to 11 junior college transfers meant the new additions to the team went without food money, a move that Davie referred to as "dangerous and morally wrong" and an issue that they'd encountered as a program for several years now. Regarding the preferential treatment to the men's basketball program, Davie noted that he'd saved the school about $135k by leaving two defensive positions unfilled for a good portion of the offseason, and he wanted to put that savings toward feeding football players better, but Nunez wouldn't allow that to happen while Davie notes that men's basketball coach Paul Weir did something similar and was able to put the savings toward additional video equipment for the program.
Even during his hospitalization after the season opener, Davie continued to send his concerns up the ladder.
“I was aware of them, and I received a copy of them,” athletic director Eddie Nuñez shared via the Albuquerque Journal, before adding that everything was reviewed and addressed "as necessary."
Davie also voiced his frustrations on the administration's attendance goals for the season, calling them "mindless," and "reckless," before noting that no one consulted with him about realistic numbers and that they were set up for failure.
In mid-December, New Mexico announced the hire of Arizona State defensive coordinator and Lobo alum Danny Gonzales as their new head coach.