- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,152,267
- Reaction score
- 59
Welcome to Coppola's Column, a series where I give my take on sports-related topics from the Las Cruces area.
This is the third edition of a new series. No. 1 and No. 2 are hyperlinked here.
I will review and critique Joe Fields' first season as New Mexico State athletic director. Fields, previously Tulsa's deputy AD, took over in October to officially succeed Mario Moccia, who was fired in January 2025.
I'll keep the intro short. Let's begin.
The changes in women's basketball and women's tennis were made for obvious reasons: neither program was winning enough.
Fields replaced women's tennis coach Emily Wang, whose contract wasn't renewed after a 10-10 season and a first-round CUSA Tournament exit, with Abigail Wind. It's a solid hire on paper. As an assistant coach, Wind helped Tarleton State win the WAC regular-season and tournament titles last season to reach the NCAA Tournament.
The Aggies went 9-21 in women's basketball, their worst record under former coach Jody Adams, and missed the CUSA Tournament. Four days before Adams was fired, Fields noted on his "Cup of Joe" show that keeping "lame duck" coaches with one year left on their contract wasn't ideal, and that was going to be Adams. While she served NM State well and made two postseason appearances, moving on was the correct decision.
Fields quickly hired Rhode Island associate head coach Adeniyi Amadou, who helped the Rams win the Atlantic 10 Tournament last season. Amadou is a sound hire, but he can't bring success alone. NIL support has been lacking, which was clear when the Aggies failed to sign a single Division I transfer before last season. Fields promised to support the program at a "championship level", and Amadou's tenure will test whether those words are put into action.
The softball change was more complex, but less transparent. Questionably announced as a "coaching transition" three weeks into Fields' tenure, the Las Cruces Sun-News soon discovered in February that Kathy Rodolph was fired. She was spared a for-cause designation due to her contract having already expired, but associate head coach Cat Heifner was fired for cause. Benet Higgs took charge as interim coach and impressed Fields enough to earn the job permanently.
Fields hasn't disclosed why Rodolph and Heifner were canned.
Fields introduced the Lou & Mary Henson Excellence Fund, a reimagining of the Aggie Athletic Club, in January as NM State's primary athletics fundraising arm.
Tying the new name to Henson was meant to increase fan and donor investment in the project. Hitting $200,000 raised within two months of the launch and finishing with a record $1 million for the 2025-26 giving period proves that fans and donors bought in.
There was fear that donor funds would decrease after Moccia's firing, especially since some formed a group against the move. But Fields, Savage and others squashed those worries. In fact, it seemed like more were willing to donate with Fields in charge.
Fields also brought in considerable capital from the New Mexican government in a $9 million appropriation and a new $18.225 million football press box. NM State's desire for one predates Fields' arrival, but he was the one who secured it.
Some fans were displeased, arguing that a new press box only benefits wealthy individuals and that the money should be spent elsewhere. While concerns are valid, Fields rightly points out that NM State's press box is outdated and must be upgraded to keep pace with the competition.
Premium seating within the new press box should also generate vital revenue, help with the quality of television broadcasts and advance the athletics department. The press box should boost the Aggies in the long run.
Savage got to stay, but Fields removed deputy ADs Braun Cartwright, Amber Burdge and James Hall. In their place came new deputy AD Molly Tye and new senior associate ADs Josh Hadley and Eric Crawford. Tye and Hadley previously worked with Fields at Texas A&M's Center for Student Services, showing that Fields wants a staff mirroring his own background and values.
Keeping Savage was smart, as he was already involved in fundraising, donor relations and the HEF's conception before Fields' arrival. That the HEF achieved its immediate goals shows how vital Savage is.
There should be no issue with Fields hiring his own guys. A vision can't be realized without people who align with you. However, Cartwright, Burdge and Hall should've had some public acknowledgment on the way out.
Cartwright's role as COO helped deliver bowl wins and NCAA Tournament appearances. As deputy AD and deputy Title IX coordinator, Burdge improved the culture following the 2022-23 men's basketball hazing and sexual assault scandals, then stabilized the department during an eight-month acting AD stint in 2025. Hall focused on student development from 2006-26, helping athletes achieve a 3.0 or higher overall GPA in dozens of semesters.
Tye, Hadley and Crawford have all been great so far. But the three that were ousted deserved more than the unceremonious departures they got.
Fields inked a new apparel deal with Adidas in December. While NM State's exact compensation was withheld from the Sun-News through a public records request at Adidas' request, it's unlikely he would have inked a deal that pays less than the current Under Armour contract. The Aggies can also participate in the Adidas NIL Network, allowing athletes to earn sales commissions on products they market and the university to receive kickbacks from online retail sales.
Fields also secured a jersey patch sponsorship by signing a three-year, $1.1 million deal with Inn of the Mountain Gods. The Mescalero-based casino and resort's logo will appear on jerseys for football, volleyball, baseball, softball and men's and women's basketball.
It can feel depressing when everything gets commercialized. But given NM State's financial struggles in athletics, opening more revenue streams is beneficial. More could be coming, as Fields noted on "Cup of Joe" that he's exploring naming rights deals for Aggie Memorial Stadium and the Pan American Center.
More home games against UNM and UTEP would bring in cash, and Fields says he wants to play them "as frequently as possible across all sports". While the Aggies will still only host the Lobos every other season in men's basketball, Fields says playing the Miners twice annually in non-conference action remains a possibility to guarantee a yearly Battle of I-10 home game. Football games between NM State and UTEP are still a work in progress.
It's good to have that mentality. It's college sports. You should play your rivals.
Fields will ultimately be judged by the win column. His task must be making sure NM State doesn't repeat its 2025-26 season, in which it failed to win a team conference championship.
But the Fields era in Las Cruces is off to a promising start, and I believe there's been more positives than negatives. Time will tell whether his vision turns into success.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Coppola's Column | Recapping Joe Fields' first season as NMSU AD
Continue reading...
This is the third edition of a new series. No. 1 and No. 2 are hyperlinked here.
I will review and critique Joe Fields' first season as New Mexico State athletic director. Fields, previously Tulsa's deputy AD, took over in October to officially succeed Mario Moccia, who was fired in January 2025.
I'll keep the intro short. Let's begin.
Coaching changes
The changes in women's basketball and women's tennis were made for obvious reasons: neither program was winning enough.
Fields replaced women's tennis coach Emily Wang, whose contract wasn't renewed after a 10-10 season and a first-round CUSA Tournament exit, with Abigail Wind. It's a solid hire on paper. As an assistant coach, Wind helped Tarleton State win the WAC regular-season and tournament titles last season to reach the NCAA Tournament.
The Aggies went 9-21 in women's basketball, their worst record under former coach Jody Adams, and missed the CUSA Tournament. Four days before Adams was fired, Fields noted on his "Cup of Joe" show that keeping "lame duck" coaches with one year left on their contract wasn't ideal, and that was going to be Adams. While she served NM State well and made two postseason appearances, moving on was the correct decision.
Fields quickly hired Rhode Island associate head coach Adeniyi Amadou, who helped the Rams win the Atlantic 10 Tournament last season. Amadou is a sound hire, but he can't bring success alone. NIL support has been lacking, which was clear when the Aggies failed to sign a single Division I transfer before last season. Fields promised to support the program at a "championship level", and Amadou's tenure will test whether those words are put into action.
The softball change was more complex, but less transparent. Questionably announced as a "coaching transition" three weeks into Fields' tenure, the Las Cruces Sun-News soon discovered in February that Kathy Rodolph was fired. She was spared a for-cause designation due to her contract having already expired, but associate head coach Cat Heifner was fired for cause. Benet Higgs took charge as interim coach and impressed Fields enough to earn the job permanently.
Fields hasn't disclosed why Rodolph and Heifner were canned.
Fundraising
Fields introduced the Lou & Mary Henson Excellence Fund, a reimagining of the Aggie Athletic Club, in January as NM State's primary athletics fundraising arm.
Tying the new name to Henson was meant to increase fan and donor investment in the project. Hitting $200,000 raised within two months of the launch and finishing with a record $1 million for the 2025-26 giving period proves that fans and donors bought in.
There was fear that donor funds would decrease after Moccia's firing, especially since some formed a group against the move. But Fields, Savage and others squashed those worries. In fact, it seemed like more were willing to donate with Fields in charge.
Fields also brought in considerable capital from the New Mexican government in a $9 million appropriation and a new $18.225 million football press box. NM State's desire for one predates Fields' arrival, but he was the one who secured it.
Some fans were displeased, arguing that a new press box only benefits wealthy individuals and that the money should be spent elsewhere. While concerns are valid, Fields rightly points out that NM State's press box is outdated and must be upgraded to keep pace with the competition.
Premium seating within the new press box should also generate vital revenue, help with the quality of television broadcasts and advance the athletics department. The press box should boost the Aggies in the long run.
New staff hires
Savage got to stay, but Fields removed deputy ADs Braun Cartwright, Amber Burdge and James Hall. In their place came new deputy AD Molly Tye and new senior associate ADs Josh Hadley and Eric Crawford. Tye and Hadley previously worked with Fields at Texas A&M's Center for Student Services, showing that Fields wants a staff mirroring his own background and values.
Keeping Savage was smart, as he was already involved in fundraising, donor relations and the HEF's conception before Fields' arrival. That the HEF achieved its immediate goals shows how vital Savage is.
There should be no issue with Fields hiring his own guys. A vision can't be realized without people who align with you. However, Cartwright, Burdge and Hall should've had some public acknowledgment on the way out.
Cartwright's role as COO helped deliver bowl wins and NCAA Tournament appearances. As deputy AD and deputy Title IX coordinator, Burdge improved the culture following the 2022-23 men's basketball hazing and sexual assault scandals, then stabilized the department during an eight-month acting AD stint in 2025. Hall focused on student development from 2006-26, helping athletes achieve a 3.0 or higher overall GPA in dozens of semesters.
Tye, Hadley and Crawford have all been great so far. But the three that were ousted deserved more than the unceremonious departures they got.
New revenue streams
Fields inked a new apparel deal with Adidas in December. While NM State's exact compensation was withheld from the Sun-News through a public records request at Adidas' request, it's unlikely he would have inked a deal that pays less than the current Under Armour contract. The Aggies can also participate in the Adidas NIL Network, allowing athletes to earn sales commissions on products they market and the university to receive kickbacks from online retail sales.
Fields also secured a jersey patch sponsorship by signing a three-year, $1.1 million deal with Inn of the Mountain Gods. The Mescalero-based casino and resort's logo will appear on jerseys for football, volleyball, baseball, softball and men's and women's basketball.
It can feel depressing when everything gets commercialized. But given NM State's financial struggles in athletics, opening more revenue streams is beneficial. More could be coming, as Fields noted on "Cup of Joe" that he's exploring naming rights deals for Aggie Memorial Stadium and the Pan American Center.
More home games against UNM and UTEP would bring in cash, and Fields says he wants to play them "as frequently as possible across all sports". While the Aggies will still only host the Lobos every other season in men's basketball, Fields says playing the Miners twice annually in non-conference action remains a possibility to guarantee a yearly Battle of I-10 home game. Football games between NM State and UTEP are still a work in progress.
It's good to have that mentality. It's college sports. You should play your rivals.
To conclude
Fields will ultimately be judged by the win column. His task must be making sure NM State doesn't repeat its 2025-26 season, in which it failed to win a team conference championship.
But the Fields era in Las Cruces is off to a promising start, and I believe there's been more positives than negatives. Time will tell whether his vision turns into success.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Coppola's Column | Recapping Joe Fields' first season as NMSU AD
Continue reading...
