It's only the coach.

And it's just one of the unorthodox ways in which Jim Boylen has attempted to connect with fans during his first season on the job. Boylen also has made an impression with his postgame speeches on the public-address microphone, and quickly earned a glowing reputation among many appreciation-starved fans that neither of his less sociable forebears enjoyed.

"I've never felt closer to the program than I have this year," lifelong Utah fan and season-ticket holder Jeff Dunn of Salt Lake City said. "Coach Boylen deserves all the credit for that. He has a real gift for making you feel like you count as a fan, and he treats everyone he meets with respect. He makes you feel like he cares about you. It's hard to explain, but somehow he does."

For Boylen, it's easy.

"I'm a people guy," he said. "A lot of head coaches aren't. I like going to the grocery store, and having people say hi to me. Know what I mean? I love that part of it. . . . I really enjoy relationships with people."

It certainly shows, noticeably more than when Rick Majerus or Ray Giacoletti coached the Utes.

Boylen already is well-known for his unusual accessibility. He frequently responds to some of the dozens of e-mails he receives - "if they have a basketball question," he said.

"There is no doubt that Coach Boylen wants more than just his players to believe, he wants the fan base to believe as well," said Bryan Wright of Salt Lake City, who plans to buy season tickets after attending a game after which Boylen spoke earlier this season.

Boylen even has won over opposing fans and players.

Not only has New Mexico's notorious Mark "Snake" Tichenor become an admirer after Boylen chatted him up before the teams met in Albuquerque last month, but a Colorado State fan who had shouted insults at the Utes as they left the floor at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colo., last month later called and apologized after Boylen stopped to talk to him.

"Now, we're like buddies," Boylen said. "He sends me e-mails and stuff."

Mostly, though, it's Utah fans who have so warmed to Boylen, who has forged a connection that few of them felt quite so profoundly in recent years.

One big reason seems to be those postgame speeches, in which Boylen thanks to the fans and promises to build a winning team. He has done that four times already to great effect - though some fans did concede they hope he doesn't wear out the charm, or come off undignified.

"I've been asked to build a program," Boylen said. "And if I have to build it one fan at a time with one handshake at a time, I'll do it. I just want them to appreciate that we're trying to play hard, we're trying to play the right way. . . . I hope they can see it. I hope they can buy into it. But I also want them to know that we really can't build it without them."

His last speech came after the Utes beat San Diego State last weekend, and might have been the most memorable of the season.

In it, he humorously apologized to his wife, Chris, for having been ornery in the days leading up to the game. But by the time Boylen he returned home, a neighbor had hung a sign on his front door:

"Forgive him, Chris," it read. "We won."

mcl@sltrib.com

Utah vs. New Mexico

At the Huntsman Center

Tipoff: Noon

TV: mtn.

Radio: 700 AM

Records: Utah 15-9 (6-5 Mountain West), New Mexico 21-6 (8-4 Mountain West)

Series: Utah leads, 76-44

Last meeting: New Mexico 77, Utah 67 OT (Jan. 22)

Line: Utah by 4

About the Utes: Having won five of their last seven games, they're trying to make a move into a virtual tie for third place in the league standings. . . They have won 18 straight home games against the Lobos since 1989. . . Senior G Johnnie Bryant scored 25 points in the last meeting, but hardly touched the ball in the last 13 1/2 minutes as they wilted down the stretch and in overtime to conclude an agonizing three-game losing streak.

About the Lobos: Riding a five-game winning streak, they lead the league by shooting 43.4 percent from three-point range. . . Senior G J.R. Giddens is making a case for player of the year, aver aging 21.5 points and 8.5 rebounds the last six games. . . Coach Steve Alford is a potential candidate to replace Kelvin Sampson at Indiana.