Fired New Mexico State basketball coach Greg Heiar hired by a Missouri junior college

Former head coach of the New Mexico State basketball team, Greg Heiar, has been appointed as the new coach for Mineral Area College, a junior college located in Missouri. This comes four months after Heiar was fired from his position at New Mexico State due to a hazing scandal involving the team.

Heiar’s dismissal from New Mexico State in February was a result of hazing allegations that caused the suspension of the basketball program for the season. At the time of the shutdown, the Aggies had a record of 9-15 overall and 2-10 in the Western Athletic Conference.

To settle a lawsuit filed by two basketball players who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by their teammates, New Mexico State agreed to pay $8 million, as revealed by state records on Wednesday.

Mineral Area College, situated approximately 65 miles southwest of St. Louis, officially announced Heiar’s hiring on Saturday. The college highlighted Heiar’s extensive 20-plus years of coaching experience in college basketball, as well as his achievements, including winning a National Junior College Athletic Association Division I national championship and being named coach of the year in 2022 while coaching at Northwest Florida State.

In a statement, the 47-year-old Heiar expressed his enthusiasm for joining the institution and the community, stating that he is eager to begin building a championship team at Mineral Area College.

While acknowledging Heiar’s controversial past, Mineral Area College’s athletic director, Jim Gerwitz, stated that he was excited about the prospects for the basketball program. The college confirmed that it was aware of the litigation involving Heiar and New Mexico State and took the litigation and related allegations into account during the hiring process.

Gerwitz mentioned that Heiar’s extensive coaching career, including his leadership of a NJCAA national championship team, played a significant role in the decision to hire him. The college’s hiring committee thoroughly considered Heiar’s past and reached out to previous administrators for feedback.

Mineral Area College assured that it received overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding Heiar’s ability to develop student-athletes, foster success both academically and athletically, and establish a championship culture that will benefit players not only during their time at the college but also in their future endeavors.

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