King was hired as head coach of the
New Mexico Lobos in 1962. The Lobo program had gone 42–149 (.220) over the previous eight seasons and had only two winning seasons in the previous fifteen years. King transformed the program immediately, winning more games in his first two seasons than the team had won in the previous six combined. In ten seasons as Lobo head coach, King compiled a record of 175–89 (.663), the second most coaching wins in team history, with two
Western Athletic Conference (WAC) titles, three appearances in the
National Invitation Tournament (NIT), and the school's first
NCAA tournament bid. King instilled fundamental principles of the game, running a disciplined offense and a relentless, pressure defense, building his early teams around dominant centers. King next signed center
Mel Daniels, one of the greatest players in Lobo history. Daniels averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds a game as a three-year starter (1964–67), leading the team to a combined 54–24 record and two more NIT appearances. Daniels went on to become an
ABA All-Time Team member after winning two MVP awards and three championships with the
Indiana Pacers. In 2012, he was inducted into the
Basketball Hall of Fame. After his playing career, Daniels joined King's staff at Indiana State as an assistant, and he later worked in the Pacers front office for over twenty years. The Lobos entered the national rankings for the first time and spent a total of 52 weeks in the rankings during King's tenure. The team became wildly popular in Albuquerque, attendance at their games more than doubled, and soon their home venue was selling out regularly. University Arena, now formally known as Dreamstyle Arena but popularly known as "
The Pit", opened at the beginning of the 1966–67 season and has become one of the most renowned college basketball arenas in the country. Attendance at The Pit was second in the nation in its first year and has remained among national leaders ever since, and the Lobos have won over eighty percent of their games there. During the same period, Lobo rivals
UTEP and
New Mexico State also attained national prominence. UTEP (then Texas Western) won the national championship in 1966, and New Mexico State reached the Final Four in 1970. A fierce rivalry developed among King, Miners coach
Don Haskins, and Aggies coach
Lou Henson. Their teams each played one another twice a season, often with national rankings at stake. The 1967–68 Lobos had lost Daniels to graduation, and they were picked in preseason polls to finish last in the WAC. Instead they bolted to a 17–0 start, climbing into the national rankings. The team was the most balanced squad King had at New Mexico, with four players averaging in double-figures, led by
Ron Nelson with 19.5 points per game. The Lobos beat #5 Utah and #10 New Mexico State, surging to #4 in the polls. They won the WAC conference, and Nelson was honored as All-WAC and a Helms All-American. The Lobos received their first bid to the
NCAA tournament, playing in the regionals at The Pit. They were upset by Santa Clara, however, and finished the season 23–5. The focus on inside play returned the next season as
Willie Long began his run as a three-year starter. The team finished 17–9 but failed to reach the post-season. Long averaged 23.9 points a game in both his final two seasons, earning All-WAC recognition both years and Helms All-American status as a senior. Like Harge and Daniels, Long went on to play in the ABA. The Lobos slumped to a 42–36 record in King's final three seasons as head coach, with no postseason appearances. King stepped down as coach after the 1971–72 season, becoming Assistant Athletics Director at UNM the next year. He had hoped to take over as Athletics Director, as the current AD was set to retire in 1973, but after he was passed over for the job, perhaps due to state politics, King resigned. == Indiana State University ==