Nuñez says mask mandate will continue, sidesteps Miami questions
Dec. 2—University of New Mexico athletic director Eddie Nuñez took a few minutes out of his Wednesday lunchtime schedule to address his department's plan for dealing with COVID-19 restrictions.
Face coverings for games in The Pit? They're required for everyone in the building for the foreseeable future, he said. Anyone not in compliance will be denied entry or asked to leave.
Nuñez said he has had numerous chats with fans and others. Not everyone is on board with the decision to wear masks, he said.
"So you listen, you explain the reasons why, sometimes they're understanding and they can see the reason for doing so, and then you have other individuals at different times will come up and they feel this is a political reason that this is being mandated or not," Nuñez said. "From my standpoint, it's like I told them, this is not about politics. This is not about anything else besides giving our student-athletes, giving our fans an ability to be in The Pit."
Fans have been required to wear masks at indoor sporting events since the state began allowing fans back in the spring. That includes every men's and women's basketball game thus far.
Wednesday's media address was in response to a UNM regent questioning why the school doesn't require fans in The Pit to prove they're vaccinated or show evidence of a recent negative COVID-19 test before entering the arena.
The state has seen a dramatic uptick in positive cases in recent months, raising concerns that mass public gatherings put even healthy patrons at risk.
"The No. 1 priority here is make sure everybody here is healthy and that we don't have any outbreak or anything that can cause us to go backwards," Nuñez said.
Hired by UNM in 2017, Nuñez has gained a reputation for dealing with multiple challenges and making the most out of sticky situations. One of his first major decisions was cutting sports to shore up a financial budget crunch. He has also fired and hired the head coaches for the football and men's basketball programs while turning over every rock possible to keep those teams competing during the peak of the pandemic.
His accomplishments have made him a target of the rumor mill for various job vacancies, namely that of the University of Miami. The Athletic published a story Tuesday that said Nuñez is a top candidate for Miami's post, according to former LSU baseball coach and Miami native Paul Mainieri.
A Miami native, Nuñez has extensive ties to the South Florida region. He was a prep hoops star in Miami, playing his final two years of college as a walk-on at Florida. He cut his teeth in athletic administration in the Southeastern Conference at Vanderbilt and LSU.
Nuñez sidestepped multiple questions about his possible interest in Miami's post, saying he's happy at UNM and committed to the work he and his staff are doing.
He said he's flattered by all the attention and even referenced an email he got from a Miami fan Wednesday saying he looked forward to seeing Nuñez back at home.
"I'm here," Nuñez said. "This is where I am. I have not communicated, taken any jobs, accepted anything; I am here. So that's all I can do."
Nuñez also gave a vote of confidence to UNM's football program, saying it's going in the right direction and that the energy coach Danny Gonzales has brought to the table has made all the difference behind the scenes.
"I do see the future is very bright for the program and I'm so proud to have Danny leading this program," Nuñez said.
