Former New Mexico State coach Greg Heiar has been hired as the head coach at Mineral Area College, a junior college in central Missouri. Heiar was dismissed from New Mexico State in February in the wake of hazing allegations within the team that shut down the program for the season.
Mineral Area College, a junior college in Park Hills, Mo., has hired a coach who was fired four months ago following a hazing scandal at his previous stop, New Mexico State University.
Heiar failed to complete his one season at New Mexico State last year before he was let go following hazing allegations. The school also suspended its season at that time.
His first brush with trouble came early last season. One of his players skipped curfew and shot and killed a man while on a team road trip for a game. Three teammates later picked up the shooter and drove him from the scene after the shooting. That shooting was deemed self-defense.
After the shooting, Heiar initially told police he didn't know where the gun was, then later failed to answer calls from police. An assistant coach reportedly hung up on police.
A New Mexico State assistant would eventually turn over the gun to police.
“If I were the state police investigating this case, I'd be kind of ticked off that there was not as much cooperation on this as you would expect from a fellow state of New Mexico government entity,” legal expert John Day, a former prosecutor, told KOAT television. “Whether they're going to charge tampering with evidence, that's certainly a possibility because when the state police agent indicated to the coaching staff, we need that gun, it was not immediately turned over.”
Then in February, two New Mexico State players alleged players held them down, removed their clothes and touched him over the course of several months.
In a lawsuit, one of the players, after seeing the other being assaulted, said he asked a coach to do something, and the coach responded by laughing and asking “What do you want me to do about it?”
New Mexico State suspended its season after those allegations surfaced and fired Heiar with cause.
The school agreed to pay $8 million to settle a lawsuit involving the two players, according to state records.
Mineral Area athletic director Jim Gerwitz, in a statement, acknowledged Heiar’s controversial past, but said that he was excited about the opportunity for the basketball program. The school said it was aware of the litigation involving Heiar and New Mexico State and considered the litigation and related allegations during the hiring process.
“Greg brings a wealth of knowledge on the court and off the court in recruiting, including having coached a NJCAA national championship team,” Gerwitz said.
Park Hills is about 65 miles south of St. Louis in St. Francois County.
Even before New Mexico State hired him, Heiar was no stranger to embattled coaches. He was once an assistant at LSU under Will Wade, who was later fired after accusations of NCAA violations.
Heiar also worked under former Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall, who resigned after allegations that he abused players.
Heiar got his Division I coaching start at Southern Mississippi under Larry Eustachy. Eustachy had previously been fired from Iowa State after famously appearing in photos at a Columbia, Mo., college party drinking and carousing with Mizzou students.
Eustachy later resigned from Colorado State following abuse allegations.
Mineral Area College, a junior college in Park Hills, Mo., has hired a coach who was fired four months ago following a hazing scandal at his previous stop, New Mexico State University.
Heiar failed to complete his one season at New Mexico State last year before he was let go following hazing allegations. The school also suspended its season at that time.
His first brush with trouble came early last season. One of his players skipped curfew and shot and killed a man while on a team road trip for a game. Three teammates later picked up the shooter and drove him from the scene after the shooting. That shooting was deemed self-defense.
After the shooting, Heiar initially told police he didn't know where the gun was, then later failed to answer calls from police. An assistant coach reportedly hung up on police.
A New Mexico State assistant would eventually turn over the gun to police.
“If I were the state police investigating this case, I'd be kind of ticked off that there was not as much cooperation on this as you would expect from a fellow state of New Mexico government entity,” legal expert John Day, a former prosecutor, told KOAT television. “Whether they're going to charge tampering with evidence, that's certainly a possibility because when the state police agent indicated to the coaching staff, we need that gun, it was not immediately turned over.”
Then in February, two New Mexico State players alleged players held them down, removed their clothes and touched him over the course of several months.
In a lawsuit, one of the players, after seeing the other being assaulted, said he asked a coach to do something, and the coach responded by laughing and asking “What do you want me to do about it?”
New Mexico State suspended its season after those allegations surfaced and fired Heiar with cause.
The school agreed to pay $8 million to settle a lawsuit involving the two players, according to state records.
Mineral Area athletic director Jim Gerwitz, in a statement, acknowledged Heiar’s controversial past, but said that he was excited about the opportunity for the basketball program. The school said it was aware of the litigation involving Heiar and New Mexico State and considered the litigation and related allegations during the hiring process.
“Greg brings a wealth of knowledge on the court and off the court in recruiting, including having coached a NJCAA national championship team,” Gerwitz said.
Park Hills is about 65 miles south of St. Louis in St. Francois County.
Even before New Mexico State hired him, Heiar was no stranger to embattled coaches. He was once an assistant at LSU under Will Wade, who was later fired after accusations of NCAA violations.
Heiar also worked under former Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall, who resigned after allegations that he abused players.
Heiar got his Division I coaching start at Southern Mississippi under Larry Eustachy. Eustachy had previously been fired from Iowa State after famously appearing in photos at a Columbia, Mo., college party drinking and carousing with Mizzou students.
Eustachy later resigned from Colorado State following abuse allegations.
