New Mexico Highlands University faced a rapid leadership shakeup after President Neil Woolf was placed on paid administrative leave, followed by additional removals affecting Provost Daniel Brown and the men’s basketball coach, Zach Settembre. The board of regents provided no stated reasons, leaving staff and students to grapple with uncertainty. Reporting also indicates Settembre discovered his removal after calls went public and learned through HR that he was on leave. The timing—five days after he signed a three-year contract extension—has intensified questions about due process and what triggers administrative action. In parallel, the lack of clear explanations reportedly contributed to student stress, including confusion around a scheduled Zoom meeting that had already concluded. For campus governance and risk management, the incident highlights how unexplained executive actions can quickly become a student-climate and reputational issue, not only an internal personnel matter.