ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Fresh out of the fish bowl that is New Mexico basketball, Dave Bliss looked and sounded like a carefree creature that has found a haven in calmer waters.
Wearing a red sweater -- 11-year-old habits can be hard to break -- Bliss was back in Albuquerque Wednesday to say goodbye to his former players and to explain why he was leaving a Top 25 program like New Mexico's for Baylor, one of the most downtrodden in the Big 12 Conference if not the country.And Bliss used what may be his final news conference in Albuquerque to make peace with a media that despite the Lobos' success under Bliss constantly critiqued the coach, his players and his program.
"What you become is friends through adversity," he said.
Bliss said that as late as Monday night, he was prepared to stay at New Mexico. But when he talked to Baylor officials on Tuesday morning, they made him an offer he could not turn down.
"It became a situation that became terrific," said Bliss, who according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram received a five-year $3 million contract with Baylor.
Bliss said the Baylor contract will allow him to retire from coaching sooner than he might have and at the same time provide a good financial situation for his family.
He added that contrary to what the media and Lobo fans might think, he did not leave New Mexico because he was tired of all the scrutiny Lobo basketball attracts from fans and the media.