The New Mexico State men’s basketball program’s remaining season was suspended last week by the university over an investigation into ongoing hazing by multiple players. Now, the school has fired head coach Greg Heiar following the latest scandal to happen under his brief watch.
The news was first reported by KTSM’s Colin Deaver.
Heiar was in the midst of his first season with the Aggies, who were 9-15 on the year. He came to the school after two seasons as the head coach of NW Florida State and was previously an assistant at ETSU and LSU.
The alleged hazing incidents at the heart of the program suspension come from one player who claimed that three of his teammates held him down in the men’s locker room at various home games and on road trips. Most recently, the victim told police that his teammates took off his pants in the locker room and hit him in the backside. He said they also grabbed his genitals and that it happened in front of other teammates as well but “no one intervened.”
NMSU police have not filed charges and the alleged victim said he “does not want to pursue criminal charges at this time.”
Over the weekend, the school announced that it was suspending the program over the allegation.
“Today I am announcing my decision to suspend operations for our men’s basketball team for the remainder of the season,” New Mexico State Chancellor Dan Arvizu said in a statement on Sunday. “This action is clearly needed, especially after receiving additional facts and reading investigation reports related to the hazing allegations involving student-athletes on the team. Hazing has no place on our campus, and those found responsible will be held accountable for their actions. We must uphold the safety of our students and the integrity of our university. It’s time for this program to reset.”
Sunday, New Mexico State guard Kyle Feit announced he was entering the transfer portal “due to the unfortunate events that have occurred this season.”
This was the second major incident under Heia. In late 2022, Aggies junior forward Mike Peake shot and killed a University of New Mexico student, in what state police called a self-defense incident.
This story contains alleged accounts of sexual assault. If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or at https://www.rainn.org
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.