New Mexico State fills RB coach spot with Jamie Christian, bringing in an Oregon State special teams background

New Mexico State has hired Jamie Christian as its running backs coach, the program announced Monday in a staff update covered by Yahoo Sports. Christian, a long-time college coaching veteran, steps into a key offensive role with experience that includes two seasons as Oregon State’s special teams coordinator before moving to the Aggies. The hire indicates New Mexico State’s intent to reshape its offensive support staff with a coach who has operated in both unit-specific and game-planning capacities across recent seasons.

Christian’s path to Las Cruces includes a stop described as an “assistant” role with New Mexico’s football program, which the report characterizes as coming from the Lobos. For Christian, the move is a return to a regional coaching footprint, and it also places him in a position group job that can influence both ground-game performance and running-back usage in pass protection and special teams deployment, where modern offenses often blur responsibilities.

The change also closes a chapter on New Mexico State’s prior running backs coaching structure. Christian is set to replace David Cobb, who the report says held multiple roles with the Aggies, including running backs coach, general manager, and assistant head coach. According to the same report, Cobb was recently fired after being placed on administrative status, an outcome that underscores the stakes of staff stability heading into an FBS season.

Christian’s Oregon State tenure matters because special teams coordinators are typically evaluated on preparation, situational discipline, and the ability to translate weekly film study into execution. Those are transferable skills for a running backs coach, particularly when the running game is asked to handle varied looks, protections, and tempo changes that emerge from opponent scouting. While Christian’s new title is specific to running backs, the staff-leadership background described in the report suggests the hire may carry a broader emphasis on detail-oriented coaching.

For New Mexico State, the vacancy filled by Christian is more than a positional replacement. Running backs often serve as touchpoints for an offense’s identity, shaping both the production of the rushing attack and the effectiveness of the passing game when designed runs, screens, and check-down packages are on the table. Bringing in Christian after a front-office and assistant head coach change also suggests the program is trying to restore clarity in its football operations.

The Aggies now face the practical challenge that follows any mid-offseason staff replacement: integrating a new running backs coach into existing offensive planning and player development routines. The first phase typically involves installing technique standards, building a new relationship with returning players, and aligning spring or offseason work with the coaching staff’s priorities for the upcoming season.

As Christian begins his work, the watch item for fans will be how quickly the running backs group responds to his coaching background and how the staff’s broader priorities show up in day-to-day practice. That response could reveal whether New Mexico State’s running game is headed toward a more structured approach, with emphasis on preparation and situational execution, or toward a different style that reflects Christian’s special teams and game-management experience.

Beyond this individual hire, the more immediate storyline remains the staff reset initiated by the departure of Cobb. With that administrative upheaval already noted in the coverage, Christian’s success will be measured not only by position-group improvement but also by his ability to operate within a reorganized leadership structure as the Aggies continue building toward the next campaign.