When Jason Eck took over as head football coach at the University of New Mexico, one of his first big moves was hiring strength and conditioning coach Caleb Heim.
Heim’s leadership is key to building a championship foundation for the team, both on and off the field.
Heim, who came with Eck from the University of Idaho, didn’t just come to Albuquerque to make athletes stronger.
He wanted to help create a culture built around the team’s core value: “Championship Behavior.” This idea goes beyond training
and influences everything the team does.
“My top priority last winter was to establish Coach Eck’s pillars of Championship Behavior,” Heim said.
“Our focus in all physical training was on our preparation standards. With so many new faces, setting the culture for Coach Eck was our biggest immediate impact.”
That culture has quickly become the Lobos’ identity. The team’s physical toughness stands out on game days, but Heim says the biggest changes are happening inside the players.
“I know your question is about physical change, but honestly, it’s mostly mental, with the physical side to support it,” Heim explained.
“We have a certain attitude in how we train and prepare. It’s not for everyone. It’s edgy, competitive, and direct, and it’s about building confidence through effort, even when that effort doesn’t lead to success.”
Learning from failure is now a key part of the program.
“We teach our guys to respond—whether after losing a competition or failing a rep, it’s about getting up and trying again. That’s how confidence and resilience are built.”
While the intensity in the weight room is clear, Heim points out that success at the FBS level takes much more than just lifting weights.
Celebration of the Process
“We celebrate the process,” Heim said. “We’re only as good as our recovery. We push them physically, but real growth depends on nutrition, recovery, and mental strength.”
This well-rounded approach, which includes training, recovery, and mindset, has been strengthened by important additions to the program.
These include sports psychologist Dr. Cindra Kamphoff and a fully integrated nutrition system that is now a key part of player development.
“Nutrition support has made a big impact,” Heim said. “Our partnership with Jeffrey Sanchez and Pack Your Maxx has been incredible and directly affects how our guy’s train and recover.”
Facility upgrades have also made a big difference, along with nutrition and mental support.
Expanding the Mark Paulsen Athletic Performance Center and improving the Tow Diehm Complex have helped Heim and his staff work more efficiently and effectively.
“The expansion allows us to train more guys at once without sacrificing quality,” Heim said.
“We can do unit lifts, offense, and defense together, and maintain the standard we expect. That’s huge for building team chemistry and accountability.”
Still, all these improvements in culture, resources, and facilities are led by strong leadership at the top.
“Coach Eck’s leadership has its own gravity,” Heim said. “There’s a genuine belief in what we’re building here.
Guys are bought into Championship Behavior and the process—that’s what makes this special.”
That belief started with what Heim and Eck began building years ago, but it keeps growing with every new roster and season.
This shows the program’s commitment to always improving.
“We started building the framework in Idaho, but every year it evolves,” Heim said. “New team, new goals, higher expectations.
We’ve taken big strides here at UNM, and with Coach Eck’s support, we’ve been able to grow a staff that shares that same vision.”
For Heim, the real reward isn’t just about wins or stats. He measures success by the daily growth of the athletes he coaches, which reflects all the hard work and foundation they’ve built.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than watching them enjoy the process of bettering themselves—and then seeing that work pay off on game day,” Heim said.
As New Mexico keeps improving under Eck, the team’s results will get attention. But behind the scenes, it’s the culture, discipline, and steady process led by Heim that are building the foundation for long-term success and connecting every step forward.
And if the Lobos’ identity shows anything, it’s that their foundation is built on something stronger than muscle: belief.
A Legacy of Strength at New Mexico
While Heim is making his mark, he’s also part of a long line of strength coaches who have shaped Lobo football over the past two decades.
Each era has brought its own philosophy, aligning closely with changes in head coaching leadership.
Before Heim’s arrival in 2025, Derrick Baker (2020–2023) led the program under Danny Gonzales, bringing experience from San Diego State.
Baker now Assistant Director of Football Sports Performance at USC.
Prior to that, Aurmon Satchell (2016–2019) served as Director of Athletic Performance during the Bob Davie era, currently in similar role at Arkansas.
Going further back, Ben Pollard (2009–2011) oversaw strength and conditioning during the Mike Locksley years.
One of the most influential figures in program history, Mark Paulsen, helped build the foundation during the Rocky Long era.
His impact remains deeply rooted in the program, with the performance center now bearing his name and was a big part of former UNM Lobo and Chicago Bear great Brian Urlacher’s success in building his foundation in the weight room.
This writer had the inside track back under the Rocky Long era, having a son (Daniel Torza) who played with the Lobos, walking on with former head coach Danny Gonzales.
So, I got to see the evolution of Mark Paulsen’s teams, which sent many of these Lobo players to the NFL under their head coaches, Dennis Franchione and then Rocky Long.
There was a strong emphasis on this program to field the most physical teams when the Lobos competed, and it now looks like it’s really evolved in the current NIL and transfer portal era.
Caleb Heim’s approach reflects both evolution and continuity—honoring the past while pushing the program forward with modern methods and resources, he really is at this program at the right place and right time in Lobo history.
Built for Saturdays
For Heim, the ultimate reward isn’t found in the weight room—it’s seen under the lights.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than watching them enjoy the process of bettering themselves—and then seeing that work pay off on game day,” Heim said.
At the FBS level, he believes the difference often shows up late—when preparation meets opportunity.
“A lot of games are decided in the fourth quarter,” Heim said. “If you’re stronger, more conditioned, and more disciplined, that’s where it shows up.”
As the Lobos continue to rise under Eck, the spotlight will focus on wins, players, and game-day moments. But behind the scenes, it’s Heim’s relentless emphasis on process, discipline, and belief that is building something sustainable.
And in Albuquerque, that foundation continues to grow stronger every day. While most people are just starting their mornings with a cup of coffee, Caleb Heim is already at work, instilling Championship Behavior and setting the tone for the
