Former New Mexico State basketball coach Greg Heiar has been hired as the coach for Mineral Area College, a junior college in Missouri. This comes four months after he was fired from New Mexico State in the aftermath of a hazing scandal within the Aggies’ basketball team.
Heiar’s dismissal from New Mexico State occurred in February due to hazing allegations that resulted in the shutdown of the program for the season. The team had a record of 9-15 overall and 2-10 in the Western Athletic Conference when the season was halted.
As a part of the fallout from the hazing scandal, New Mexico State agreed to pay $8 million to settle a lawsuit involving two basketball players who alleged they were sexually assaulted by their teammates.
Mineral Area College, located southwest of St. Louis, announced Heiar’s hiring, highlighting his 20-plus years of college coaching experience and his achievements, including a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I national championship and coach of the year award in 2022 while at Northwest Florida State.
In a statement, Heiar expressed his excitement about joining the institution and community and stated his goal of building a championship team.
Mineral Area College’s athletic director, Jim Gerwitz, acknowledged Heiar’s controversial past but expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity for the basketball program. The school stated that it was aware of the litigation involving Heiar and New Mexico State and took it into consideration during the hiring process.
Gerwitz mentioned that the committee that hired Heiar evaluated his college coaching career and reached out to past administrators. The school also stated that it received positive feedback regarding Heiar’s ability to develop student-athletes, promote success in academics and athletics, and create a championship culture.