Luke Schleusner didn’t know who he was talking to.
In 2017, New Mexico’s offensive coordinator was in his fourth year at South Dakota State when he spoke at an online coaches clinic. As he presented, all he saw was his screen and the clips he played, the plays he drew — nothing else.
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“This is, like, pre-Zoom so I didn’t know if anybody was listening or not,” Schleusner remembered. “It’s kind of an odd situation.”
The next day, Schleusner got an email confirming at least one person was listening: a football coach from Mexico. He had liked the clinic, liked how Schleusner presented it and wanted to hear more.
Schleusner decided to follow up — albeit after some quick vetting.
“I didn’t know if it was phishing or spam,” he said, “but I read the email and I’m like, ‘well, this seems serious and legit.’”
Since responding to that email, Schleusner has visited Mexico City twice to work with the coach and staff who initially reached out. In turn, that same staff visited Schleusner at previous coaching stops.
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All parties have changed jobs over the years, be they in the United States or Mexico, but all have found ways to stay in touch over the years.
“You love to be able to share,” Schleusner said. “Love to be able to grow the game.”
That’s precisely why football coaches from the University de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP) have been in attendance for UNM’s first four spring practices: to share. The Lobos have hosted the Aztecas’ staff from morning to night, through meetings and practices, answering and asking questions from and of their visitors.
And while UDLAP’s staff — based out of San Andrés Cholula, Mexico — has visited the likes of SMU and Baylor in the past, the benefit of a week like this can’t be overstated.
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“Everything that we’ve seen here, it’s very useful for us,” UDLAP head coach Raul Rivera said through a translator. “And we’re pretty sure that every piece of information we’re taking from this, it’s going to help us get to a better point.”
But if Rivera didn’t shy away from the difference between college football in the United States compared to Mexico — “The budget,” he laughed — he also made clear that UDLAP is no slouch. The Aztecas have won eight national championships in their history, claiming the first in 1949 and three in the 2010s under former head coach Eric Fisher.
“(Football), it’s the most popular sport (at the amateur level),” Rivera said. “(At the professional level), it’s soccer. But in terms of college, it’s a very popular game.”
UDLAP defensive coordinator Gabriel Alejandro Sánchez took in practices this week at UNM after seeing the game’s rise in popularity as a player at National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City. But it wasn’t until he went to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) convention in 2009 that he decided to be a coach; a week that ended up being the “turning point” of his life.
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“As a young coach, I was always thinking about Xs and Os (like) everyone,” he said. “But when I found out that it wasn’t (all) about Xs and Os (at the AFCA), that’s when I became more interested in the sport. When Joe Paterno and Lou Holtz gave a speech and they talked about everything but Xs and Os, that’s when I thought it was for me.”
Weeks like this only help that pursuit.
“There’s always something to learn,” Sanchez said. “This kind of trip makes us more humble. Because sometimes you think you know everything and when you come and see how coach Schleusner and how everybody on staff does their jobs, you know you got a long way to go.
“That’s always helpful.”
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Wednesday’s practice
Some quick-hit observations from Wednesday’s practice:
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There’s been a lot of shifting within UNM’s starting defense to this point, but the first-string defensive line for most of the day: Darren Agu, Xavier Slayton, Brian Booker and College of San Mateo transfer Albert Tuakalau. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Tuakalau to this point, and think he’ll receive plenty more run with the starters throughout the spring.
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Not much of a surprise — it would be more of a surprise if he didn’t — but wide receiver Zhaiel Smith looks a bit stronger than he did last year. Count going up and getting the ball over cornerback Eric McClain during Wednesday’s third down competition as one of the incoming sophomore’s better moments this spring.
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Eck has made it clear he wants Scottre Humphrey to improve as a pass catcher, and Wednesday was a continuation of that effort. I don’t recall him getting the ball thrown to him this much during last spring or fall camp. Humphrey caught only three passes for 22 yards last season.
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After tearing his ACL and effectively missing all of fall camp heading into last season, running back Darrion Bowers has been getting some steady run. Keep an eye on how his role develops over the next few weeks.
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.
