The four seasons with Kenny Thomas in the line-up was the best stretch by the Lobos to date. They compiled a 102–30 (.772) record while making the NCAA tournament and winning in the first round all four years. Bliss had won 246 games as Lobo head coach and reached the NCAA tournament seven times, both school records. His teams won twenty or more games and reached post-season tournaments in ten of his 11 seasons, and he coached the four leading scorers in Lobo history. Yet, despite his success, Bliss faced mounting criticism from fans and the media for poor academic performance by his players, lax discipline, lightweight schedules, and the failure to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Deciding it was time to move on, Bliss resigned and accepted the head coach position at Baylor, reportedly more than doubling his UNM salary. In 2003, he was forced to resign from Baylor embroiled in an ugly scandal that would end his college coaching career.