UNM fans react to Locksley suspension

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Reaction from Lobo Nation to the 10-day suspension of football Head Coach Mike Locksley is spilling out from campus and from online chat rooms.

"I think it's appropriate," University of New Mexico student Brittney Cappellucci told KRQE News 13.

"I think he's worthy of the suspension," student Kayla Hammond, said. "Maybe a little more. It might be a little easy."

Locksley, whose team is 0-6 this season, was suspended for his role in an altercation during a coaches meeting on Sept. 20. Receivers coach J. B. Gerald reported to police that Locksley had punched him in the mouth.

Locksley's suspension amounts to 10-days costing him $29,000 in pay, no contact with his team, no coaching the UNM vs. University of Nevada Las Vegas home game on Oct. 24 and mandatory attendance at a conflict resolution class.

Similar sentiments are going out on Lobo fan Web sites including The Red Menace.

"One game is enough, and I am tired of hearing about it," one fan wrote.

Others saw humor in the potential of the winless Lobo team being led for one game by interim Head Coach George Barlow.

"What is going to be the absolute best is if UNM beats UNLV with Locksley suspended," another fan wrote.

UNM Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs made the final decision on punishment based on the University's Human Resources investigation. Krebs had previously issued Locksley verbal and written reprimands.

Meanwhile, some students on campus felt the university didn't go far enough in its punishment of the first-year coach.

"I think it was actually too little," Bobby Garcia said. "If anyone else hit someone else on the faculty, they'd probably be fired. So why give him the special treatment?"