ENMU announces new head football coach

PORTALES — Eastern New Mexico University announced on Friday the hiring of Tye Hiatt as the school’s 17th head football coach.

Hiatt replaces Kelley Lee, who resigned last month after nine seasons at ENMU, the last four as head coach, to accept a position as the athletic co-ordinator and head football coach at Veterans Memorial Early College H.S. in Brownsville, Texas.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tye to Eastern New Mexico as our next head football coach,” ENMU athletic director Matt Billings said in a release from the school. “We believe that Tye will continue to build upon the great success and tradition of the ENMU football program. He is passionate about the sport and will be a great leader for our student-athletes on and off the field.”

Under Lee, the school broke the program’s rushing record with 4,191 yards in 2019, the last season the Hounds competed. ENMU matched the second-most wins in school history that year, going 8-4, and capped it off by beating Southern Arkansas in the Heritage Bowl for the first bowl victory in program history.

Hiatt was in his third year as the offensive co-ordinator at Division II Shepherd University, located in Shepherdstown, W. Va. In 2019, the Rams posted a 10-3 record, reaching the D-II playoffs while finishing first in D-II in yards passing per game (347) and in the top six in completion percentage, first downs, and total offense.

Shepherd had a 1,000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers that season.

In 2018, the Rams went 7-3 and ranked in the top 11 in eight D-II statistical categories on offense.

“I am honored and humbled to become the next head football coach at Eastern New Mexico University,” Hiatt said in the release from the school. “I want to thank Matt Billings and (ENMU) president (Patrice) Caldwell for the opportunity to lead such a strong, storied program.”

Hiatt’s previous experience at the college level includes stints at Division III Frostburg State (Maryland), where he was the offensive co-ordinator from 2014-17, and his alma mater, Southern Virginia University, from 2011-13. Prior to that, he was a four-year member of the Knights’ football program.

Ironically, ENMU’s interim softball coach, Dusty Grawrock, also coached and played at Southern Virginia.

The school said Friday it would schedule a press conference for a later time to officially introduce Hiatt.