There aren’t many better views in college football than looking out at the Franklin Mountains from Dana Dimel’s office at the edge of the Sun Bowl in El Paso. But while looking out at the beautiful mountain range in the midst of a 20-game losing streak, the mountains must have made Dimel feel a little too much like Sisyphus trying to push a boulder up these mountains to win an elusive game.

First it was a seven-point loss to rival New Mexico State. Then it was a tight nine-point loss on the road at UTSA. Great defensive performances against North Texas, Louisiana Tech and UAB – three of the best teams in the conference last season – only made the feeling that much more desperate. But even after an 0-8 start, the focus and resolve remained strong.

“That was a tribute to the kids and the quality of players we have,” Dimel said. “The senior class we had, the competitive spirit they had and how much they were sacrificing for the program was just tremendous.”

All that determination finally paid off against Rice, as the Miners scored the first 27 points of the game to pick up their first win since the final week of the 2016 season. It was a big moment for the program. That said, no one gives out trophies for going 1-11. The specter of perpetual winlessness is gone. Now, it’s time to build.

Luckily, there aren’t many coaches in college football who know how to navigate a rebuild quite like Dimel. He was right there every step of the way at Kansas State as Bill Snyder helped lead arguably the greatest turnaround in college football history. Later, he had success at Wyoming, a historically down program. Dimel didn’t have success at Houston, but helped change the culture and direction of the program and set the table for Art Briles and Kevin Sumlin.

“Dana did the work it took to get the program turned around and on the right footing, but he didn’t get to enjoy the fruits of his labor,” athletic director Jim Senter said.

To ensure that he doesn’t have the rug pulled out again, Dimel got assurances that he would have time from the athletic department in the form of a fully-guaranteed contract. The model that Dimel wants for his program is simple but takes time. He wants to make beating UTEP an arduous task.

“To make your team a tough out in college football, you need two things: to be good on defense and be good on special teams,” Dimel said. “Your offense is important, but it’s not the consistent thing that brings you success in tough environments.”

Our chat in his office on the edge of the historic Sun Bowl took place right in the middle of March Madness. He quickly pointed to the remaining teams in the Sweet 16 and characterized 14 of them as defense-first. That held especially true in the national championship game, where defensive stalwarts Texas Tech and Virginia vied for the title.

“If you did a 16-team tournament in college football, it would be the exact same way,” Dimel said.

The makings of a defensive culture are already obvious. The Miners held eight of their first nine opponents to 31 points or fewer, including 27 for North Texas, 24 for Tennessee and 19 for conference champion UAB. Defensive coordinator Mike Cox came with Dimel from Kansas State, and the multiplicity and player development has already showed up.

There’s reason for excitement on offense too. All eyes will be on true freshman running back Deion Hankins, who ranks as one of the most heralded recruits in program history. He set the all-time El Paso city record with 7,491 yards despite carrying the ball just 22.8 times per game. Many hope he could be the next Aaron Jones — a hometown kid and future UTEP hero.

Coaching in El Paso has its disadvantages, but Dimel has kept his confidence through the rocky first season. Heading into year two with another year of growth, Dimel thinks that results are just around the corner.

“You want to see a team that doesn’t beat themselves and plays hard and is very competitive, and is a tough out,” Dimel said. “That’s my goal, to make our team a tough out.”