Former Carlsbad High School head football coach Oliver Soukup has a new job with New Mexico Military Institute’s college football team.

He was hired June 18 replacing former Bronco football coach Kurt Taufa’asau who resigned in May to become the new head coach at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, according to a press from New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI).

Under Taufa’asau’s leadership, the Bronco football team compiled a 27-10 overall record, winning the NJCAA D1 Football National Championship title in his inaugural season as NMMI’s head coach in 2021, followed by back-to-back bowl game appearances in 2022 and 2023.

Soukup coached the 2022 season at Carlsbad High School as the Cavemen finished the season with a 5-6 record and a first round 34-33 loss to the Farmington Scorpions in the opening round of the 6A state playoffs.

At the conclusion of the season, he left Carlsbad and became the defensive coordinator at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) in Portales for 2023.

NMMI Athletics Director Jose Barron the Broncos were pleased with Soukup’s application especially with fall workouts and a new season starting Aug. 29 at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.

He coached at NMMI in 2011 as the special team’s coordinator and defensive line coach under former head Josh Lynn, said Geoff Gunn, sports information spokesperson.

The Broncos finished the season with a 9-3 record and played in the Heart of Texas Bowl.

“Soukup has been a coach here at NMMI previously, he knows our school and football program well,” Barron said. “This is big win for NMMI football already and I look forward to seeing him out on the field this season.”

Soukup thanked ENMU and the city of Portales for its support during 2023.

“It is an honor to be afforded this opportunity to lead such a prestigious program,” he said. “It is very rare in someone’s life that these types of opportunities are presented, and I feel very fortunate, and I am extremely appreciative.

Soukup will be the sixth head coach of the Broncos since the turn of the of the century, Gunn said.

He said previous coaches had at least one postseason bowl game. The Broncos won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship in 2021.