We had the pleasure of meeting, in person, UTEP’s new men’s basketball coach Joe Golding. The audio of our visit with the coach is included, in its entirety, at the bottom of this article.

Here are 3 takeaways from our interview: things we learned about Coach Joe Golding.

1.) UTEP wasn’t the only program that came a-calling.

After taking Abilene Christian to March Madness AND upsetting the Texas Longhorns to advance in the tournament, Coach Golding admits that UTEP wasn’t the only school putting out feelers. Golding does say, however, that once UTEP reached out he immediately knew that was the job he wanted.

2.) The Transport Portal Taketh but can Also Giveth.

The Miner men’s basketball program has already had a couple players announce that they want to be in “The Transfer Portal”. That’s the period of time when a collegiate player can announce his intention to transfer to another school. But, like any door, the transfer portal opens both ways. Coach Golding let us know that there are, indeed, some quality players out there who may be looking to transfer into UTEP. Hopefully, they saw that upset over U.T. in the tournament.

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3.) Coach will be shaking hands today at H&H Carwash

As important as touring the campus, every new UTEP coach must do the “H&H Protocol”. This involves eating delicious Mexican cuisine at the counter, acquainting yourself with the unique carwash experience and, of course, getting Maynard’s stamp of approval. Maynard Haddad and his brother Ken who passed away in 2019 have been some of the biggest athletic boosters for decades and meeting them is a rite of passage for every new coach.

Coach Golding seems very eager to meet as many fans and shake as many hands as possible, the Covid pandemic notwithstanding. We found the new coach to be friendly, humble about getting the job and relentlessly energetic. We asked him if his energy level is always cranked up. “Yeah, that’s just the way I am all the time.”

 

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