Familiar face set to coach ENMU football

PORTALES – Kelley Lee is back at the helm of Eastern New Mexico University football.

ENMU athletic director Paul Weir introduced Lee during a get-together on Monday at Greyhound Arena.

"Both Greyhound Athletics and coach Lee are (happy) for the timing to enable this to happen," Weir said.

"His resume speaks for itself. He has tremendous passion to come back here, and we are incredibly grateful to have him. This is a great day for all of us."

A native of Truth or Consequences and a 2000 graduate of Western New Mexico University in Silver City, Lee was a graduate assistant at ENMU under the late Bud Elliott in 2002 and 2003. He had several jobs between 2006 and 2011 before returning to ENMU in 2012 as the team's offensive coordinator.

After five years in that role, he was named head coach in 2017 and led the Greyhounds to a 21-12 record over three seasons before COVID-19 shut the program down the following year.

Lee, who played quarterback in college at WNMU, capped his initial run as ENMU's head coach with the school's first bowl win, a 20-13 decision over Southern Arkansas in the Heritage Bowl in December 2019 at Corsicana, Texas. A run-oriented coach, he was on the staff during each of ENMU's five top seasons rushing the ball.

Lee spent the last two years as the head football coach at Veterans Early College H.S. in Brownsville, Texas, compiling a record of 17-7.

"For me, New Mexico is home," said Lee, 47, who went 21-12 from 2017-19. "'I'm excited, humbled and honored to be welcomed back with open arms. I think Dr. Weir has the athletic department going in a good direction."

He said he was back visiting family in New Mexico over the holiday break when the job came open after former coach Tye Hiatt took a position on the football staff at Southern Utah.

Lee said 24 players are still in the program from his time as head coach, as well as numerous others from the Hiatt regime. "I'm really excited to get to know those players," he said.

While ENMU doesn't have the glamour or some of the perks other Lone Star Conference schools enjoy, Lee said it's not an impossible mountain to climb. He said it's important to recruit well in the New Mexico-west Texas region.

"I believe there's a way to win here," he said. "It has a little bit to do with scheme and a lot to do with philosophy. When you can get those boys working together, you can win a lot of games."

Much of the next few weeks will be spent on recruiting and putting a staff together. Lee said he will look at who to retain off the current staff, adding that he will bring in some of his own coaches as well.

Lee and wife Melissa, a former track athlete and coach at ENMU, have two sons, Kingston, 12, and Croix, 10.