University of New Mexico head coach Eric Olen announced on Wednesday the addition of two new members to his coaching staff: assistant coach Mike Roberts and assistant coach Michael Wilder. Roberts joins UNM after serving as an assistant at UTEP last season, where he helped the Miners achieve an 18-win record. Wilder arrives with 11 seasons of experience on the UC Irvine staff.
Roberts previously coached at Cincinnati, Indiana, UNC Greensboro, Rice, Cal, and Texas Tech. His time at UTEP capped off a notable career spanning several prominent programs. He spent nearly a decade working under Wes Miller, two years as an assistant at Cincinnati and seven as associate head coach at UNC Greensboro. During his tenure at UC, the Bearcats secured 41 wins and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 NIT. At UNCG, he played a key role in transforming the program from just nine wins in 2013 to a total of 81 wins over his last three seasons, including 29 wins in 2019. Under his guidance, the Spartans captured two SoCon regular season titles and made postseason appearances in each of his final three years, highlighted by an NCAA Tournament berth in 2018 and a top seed in the NIT in both 2017 and 2019.
Before his time with Miller, Roberts spent six years with Ben Braun, first as an assistant at Rice and then at Cal, playing a part in Rice’s noteworthy postseason run in 2014. He started his coaching career at Texas Tech in the 2005-06 season as a graduate assistant for Hall of Famer Bob Knight. Roberts played at Indiana, graduating in 2005, and served as a team captain during his senior year, leading the Hoosiers to three postseason appearances.
Olen expressed enthusiasm about Roberts, stating, “Mike Roberts brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our program. He’s a defensive-minded coach with a track record of developing players. I’m thrilled to welcome Mike to the Lobo family, and I’m confident our players will benefit from working with him.”
Wilder, a former standout player at UC Irvine, joins UNM after spending his last 11 years at his alma mater, with the past nine as an assistant coach. Throughout his tenure, he contributed to UCI’s most prosperous era, which included eight seasons with 20 or more wins and two seasons exceeding 30 victories. This past year, UC Irvine set a school record with 32 wins and reached the NIT championship game. Wilder was instrumental in UCI winning five Big West regular season titles and two conference tournament championships, including an NCAA Tournament second-round appearance after upsetting a No. 4 seed in 2019.
During his playing career at UC Irvine from 2009 to 2013, Wilder scored over 1,000 points and ranks among the program’s all-time leaders in three-pointers made, rebounds, and assists. After graduating in 2013, he played professionally in Spain for one season before returning to UC Irvine to start his coaching career.
Olen also shared his excitement for Wilder’s addition: “Lobo Nation should be excited about the addition of Mike Wilder. He comes from one of the best defensive programs in the country and will enhance our efficiency on that side of the ball. His work ethic and ability to connect with players will have an immediate impact across the program.”
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