The University of New Mexico promoted interim athletic director Ryan Berryman to the full-time job Wednesday.
Berryman, 32, will become one of the youngest athletic directors in the FBS. He took the interim job when his former boss, Fernando Lovo, left to become the Colorado AD in late December.
Berryman is a New Mexico graduate and a former student manager who worked his way up through the athletic department. He also worked at the University of Washington as the school’s CFO and senior associate athletic director before returning to UNM in 2025. He had been the deputy athletic director/COO before being promoted to interim athletic director.
Berryman’s promotion comes at a time of strong momentum for the school’s athletic department. Two New Mexico first-year coaches, hired by Lovo, have delivered strong debut seasons. Jason Eck won nine football games in his debut, with the program receiving its first bowl bid since 2016. Basketball coach Eric Olen has the Lobos on track for an NCAA tournament bid; they are 22-7 and project as an No. 11 seed.
Under Berryman’s interim watch, New Mexico inked a 10-year naming rights partnership with Nusenda Credit Union that averages nearly $1.75 million annually for its iconic basketball arena known as The Pit.
“I have watched this department grow through some hard years and some remarkable ones, and I believe with everything I have that the best days are ahead,” he said in a statement. “We are going to build something here that this entire state is proud of — in competition, in the classroom, and in this community.”
Per his bio, Berryman will be the second-youngest athletic director in the FBS.
