PORTALES, N.M. (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with Eastern New Mexico University announced that the University’s Director of Athletics Dr. Paul Weir will step down and take on a leadership position at Abilene Christian University in their athletics department.

According to an ENMU press release, during his time at ENMU, student-athletes have had success in the classroom, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher nearly every semester, the football program was awarded the 22-23 sport Academic Championship which awards the football team with the highest GPA in the Lone Star Conference.

“Thank you Greyhounds! I am so grateful to everyone in our community who has supported my family and me for the past three years. Moving to this part of the state was a blessing I will cherish forever,” said Paul Weir, ENMU Director of Athletics. “Dr. Caldwell and Dustin Seifert, thank you and thank you again for believing in me enough to bring me here. Good luck to our fantastic athletes, coaches, and staff, who have done and will continue to do amazing things for ENMU. To Dr Johnston and this wonderful place, I will continue to cheer for the absolute best future imaginable. God Bless and Go Greyhounds.”

The release details that Dr. Weir was not only making student-athletes better students but also helping them become better athletes. “The Baseball, Softball, and Men’s Basketball teams all showed significant improvements over the past season, and all made the Lone Star Conference Tournament for the first time in many years.”

Dr. Weir also brought men’s soccer back to the University which is the only NCAA men’s soccer program in the state of New Mexico.

ENMU stated that facility improvements were a huge part of Dr. Weir’s accomplishments which included:

• Softball field renovations include new turf, bullpens, and outfield fencing.
• Greyhound Arena renovations include a videoboard during 23-24, along with sideline video boards.
• The weight room was renovated with new equipment and a first-ever nutrition space for ENMU athletes.
• A new athletic training room was built at the football fieldhouse, and a recovery room was added for all student-athletes.

Officials said Dr. Weir helped the university athletics department’s fundraising efforts by bringing the first-ever endowments. Endowments include The Greyhound Club Scholarship Endowment for all student-athletes at ENMU, the Bill Joy Endowment for the support of the athletic training department, and a new rodeo and track and field endowment for the benefit of their programs.

“We certainly appreciate Dr. Weir’s leadership and wish him the best in this next career step,” said James Johnston, ENMU Chancellor.  “He has advanced our athletics department and leaves Eastern New Mexico University Athletics Programs poised to do great things in the future.”

Eastern New Mexico University officials stated that they will be in search of a new athletic director in the near future Dr. Weir stepping down will become effective on Dec. 1, 2023.