Mike Locksley spent the day making the rounds in Albuquerque, addressing his new players at New Mexico in the morning and the media in the afternoon at a press conference where he officially was announced as the Lobos head coach.

And he was typically classy in participating in a conference call that mainly included writers who cover the Illini, giving us a final chance to pick his brain about the Illinois program, quarterback Juice Williams and the state of recruiting.

He said he didn’t plan to ask any of Illinois’ “core guys” — that is top assistant coaches — to join him on the New Mexico staff. He refuted the idea that quarterback Juice Williams might have taken a step back in the second half of the 2008 season. And he said his decision to leave Illinois was emotional after four years as offensive coordinator.

Locksley was probably the most insightful individual at Illinois when it came to explaining issues related to the football program. He was forthcoming and honest and critical when he felt it necessary. He was one of the most even-tempered coaches, at least outwardly, that I’ve ever worked with, an attribute that will serve him well in his first head coaching job.

Locksley claimed he hasn’t started talking about a staff, but pursuing friends at Illinois won’t be part of the approach.

“I doubt very seriously there will be any major guys that will come,” he said. “I don’t want to get into who’s coming and who’s not. There are some good young coaches up there who worked in some aspects that I would entertain, but for the most part there won’t be any of the core guys coming from up there to Albuquerque.”

He said he was moved by comments made by Williams for the package that was handed out to the New Mexico media. Here is what Williams had to say:

“Playing for Coach Locks has taught me the values of football and life. Being a raw kid from Chicago, I was blind to all of that and Locks showed me the way. He emphasized being a man on and off the field. Whether it was explaining a five-step drop or supplying me information on being a teenage father, he was always there. Time spent with Coach Locks has benefited my character, my work ethic, my knowledge of football and fatherhood. I owe him for what he has done in my life. At times I don’t know whether to call him Coach or Dad. He’s been a father to me and I will forever be thankful.”

With those words fresh in his mind, Locksley wasn’t about to say anything critical about Williams, his pupil as a coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the last three years. He has played a major role in shaping Juice’s game and turning him into the leading passer in the Big Ten in 2008.

I suggested that Williams has had a career with periods of progress followed by some regression and asked Locksley what the realistic expectation might be for his senior year. It seemed a fair assessment. But he chafed at the suggestion that Juice took any steps backward.

“It hurts me,” he said. “The guy threw for 3,000 yards. … His interceptions were high but I also know after studying tape of the 16 interceptions that six or seven were tipped balls. I think he’s taken major steps forward. As a team, as an offense, our inability to run the ball added more pressure at the end of the season.

“To say he has taken a step back is not necessarily the case. Juice does not have a limit. He came in as a really raw, athletic, strong-armed kid and now has developed to become a leader of sorts. He understands the system as well as anybody and needs to take the next step.”

Locksley said he spoke with coach Ron Zook about possible candidates for the offensive coordinator’s job, but didn’t endorse anyone in particular. He doesn’t suspect that Zook would hire anyone who would want to change the offense or the terminology that is in place.

With that in mind, he expects a smooth transition for Williams and the overwhelming number of returning skills players who will be back in 2009.

Locksley also expects Zook will continue to recruit heavily in the Washington D.C. and Maryland areas, where he made a killing in recent years through his ties to that region. Locksley was largely responsible for guys like Vontae Davis and Arrelious Benn signing with the Illini and will continue to mine that talent, likely competing with the Illini from time to time.

“I hope (the Illini) go in another direction, it would be good for me,” he said. “One thing I did with Coach Zook when I took him to D.C. was to take different routes so he couldn’t learn his way around. No, I think he’s committed to that area. … Coach Zook’s relationship with coaches (in that area) is based on longevity and success of the players we were able to recruit and able to graduate.”

Locksley chit chatted about a few other things. He begged for questions about the New Mexico program. He said his son, Mike Jr., is likely to transfer from Illinois to New Mexico. He knows that he will be spending a lot of time in Texas, recruiting that neighboring state. And he said the Lobos will open next year at Texas A&M.

He stumbled a couple of times, saying “we” when referring to Illinois.

“It definitely was tough,” he said. “I talked today with the team and media and told them I invested a lot of time into the program. When you invest time and energy, it’s always tough to leave.”