The search for a new head coach to guide the New Mexico Military Institute junior college football program has been completed, with Oliver Soukup being selected as the Broncos' new head coach for the quickly-upcoming 2024 season.
Soukup returns to "The Old Post" after a one-year stint in 2011 as the special teams coordinator and defensive line coach under Josh Lynn. NMMI finished with a 9-3 record that season and played the Heart of Texas Bowl, one of just eight sanctioned bowl games in the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Soukup followed Lynn to Eastern New Mexico University, serving as the Greyhound's defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2015. ENMU won the Lone Star Conference championship in 2013, and his defensive unit ranked at or near the top in several statistical categories for the conference during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, including first downs allowed, rushing yards given up, and turnovers.
After Eastern, Soukup returned to coach at his alma-mater, New Mexico State University, where as a player and a team captain on the Aggies' defensive line, he earned All-Big West honors in 2000, and a selection to the Progressive All-American Farm Team.
Soukup was at NMSU for seven seasons, from 2015 to 2021, as assistant head coach to Doug Martin and overseeing the linebacker corps. Two linebackers during Soukup's term earned the vaunted All-American status – Rodney Butler in 2016 and Devin Richardson in 2019 – joining the list of just 18 Aggies to receive the honor. Soukop also had a linebacker that led the NCAA in tackles in 2018, Javahn Fergurson, and helped NMSU go to their first bowl in game in 57 years during the 2017 campaign.
After a one-year term as the high school head coach in Carlsbad in 2022, where the Cavemen compiled a 5-6 overall record and made New Mexico's 6A State Playoffs, Soukup returned to Portales and ENMU to again be the Greyhounds' defensive coordinator under current head coach Kelley Lee.
Soukup's coaching career got its start in 2004 at Concordia University–St. Paul as the defensive line coach and strength and conditioning coordinator, helping the Golden Bears win the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title. The next year, he was promoted to defensive coordinator and helped them again make it into post-season play. During his seven seasons at Concordia, Soukop coached three All-Americans, seven All-Region selections and 14 First Team All-Conference players.
"There was a very competitive list of candidates, and I was quite pleased at the quantity and quality of the applicant pool," said NMMI Athletic Director Jose Barron about the hiring process. "With the short amount of time between our previous coach resigning and the start of this next school year, I am extremely pleased that we have been able to find a coach of the caliber of Oliver Soukup," "We wanted this to be an expeditious process but also wanted to be very deliberate and find the right person to lead our team forward. I believe we found that in coach Soukup and I look forward to seeing him take the reins of the program. Soukup has been a coach here at NMMI previously, he knows our school and football program well, and everywhere he's coached after NMMI – such as at ENMU and NMSU – he's always recruited our athletes, knowing the quality of program and our players. This is big win for NMMI football already and I look forward to seeing him out on the field this season."
"It is an honor to be afforded this opportunity to lead such a prestigious program," said Soukup in a texted response before hosting a video meeting with his Bronco players. "It is very rare in someone's life that these types of opportunities are presented and I feel very fortunate and I am extremely appreciative. First and foremost I want to thank my wife Kristen and my boys for their support and love. I want to thank Jose Barron and the administration at New Mexico Military Institute for making this all happen – I look forward to working with you on the daily. And thank you to the Greyhound Football team, ENMU, Coach Kelley Lee and the city of Portales. You welcomed my family and brought us so much in our time there, we can never repay you."
Soukup finished with a quick message to his team: "To OUR team, I am so excited to work WITH you. WE will be built on hard work, self-discipline, and belief. Working every day and worrying about us, not about anybody else. We control US, through these three cornerstones. While football is the ultimate team sport, I am all about the individuality of each of you, getting to know you and getting you to the places you want to go! SEND IT!!!!"
Soukup will be just the 6th head coach of the Broncos since the turn of the century, with every previous coach making at least one post-season bowl game, along with winning the NJCAA National Championship title in 2021.