"New Mexico fit all the criteria that I was looking for in a program when I did my research," said Locksley, who has interviewed six times for head coaching jobs.

Locksley is one of only a handful of black head coaches hired in college football.

He liked the idea that the UNM president was the first CEO of a major university interviewing him who actually got involved. "They want football to be the face of this university," said Locksley.

He didn't address why UNM gives its basketball coach more freedom in making schedules and it was hoops that got the first lucrative coaching contract in the department when Long was its most successful coach.

Locksley: "I have an action plan with recruiting; you have to. Each year I look at where the prospects are coming from. We will recruit Texas hard because they produce so many players. Of course, you have to start at home, and we will take the best players from this state. Southern California will pay a big part and so will Phoenix."

Locksley said he will also go into conference geography, challenging for players in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.

He told reporters, "People need to understand that Albuquerque has one million people and a great airport with direct flights to so many big cities, so we will have the ability to get recruits here. That will open doors for us."

Locksley said he will identify playmakers and attack on both sides of the ball and will have "tempo" and "balance" in his base offense, the spread.

"Everything about this program will be aggressive and attacking. That will be our defense and that will be true with recruiting. I want to recruit the same way I did at Illinois and I want to win the Mountain West."

According to the San Diego Union, Hoke will soon hire his offensive staff, keeping it close to the vest on who the prospects are. It is rumored one candidate could be former UCLA offensive coordinator (1996-97) Al Borges, who resigned at Auburn after the 2007 season.

Regardless of hype dished out for boosters, these three guys have extreme lifting to do.

Merchants of transformation.

How will they do?

It certainly adds an element of intrigue to next year's season, where TCU, Utah and the Cougars should be placed in a yet-to-be announced pecking order in 2009.

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E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com