PARK HILLS, Missouri (AP) — Former New Mexico State basketball coach Greg Hear has been hired to coach Mineral Area College, a small Missouri college, four months after he was fired in the wake of the Aggies scandal.
Heiar was fired from New Mexico State in February after allegations of gambling within the team shut down the program for the season. The Aggies were 9-15 overall and 2-10 in the Western Athletic Conference when the season was suspended.
The state of New Mexico agreed to pay $8 million to settle a lawsuit Includes two basketball players who said they had been sexually assaulted by his teammates, according to state records released Wednesday.
District Mineral College, located about 65 miles southwest of St. Louis, announced the hiring Saturdayciting Heiar’s 20+ years of college coaching experience and won an NCAA Division I National Junior College Championship and Coach of the Year award in 2022 while at Northwest Florida State.
Heiar, 47, said in a statement that he looks forward to being a part of the institution and the community. “Now is the time to start building the championship team,” he said.
MAC Athletic Director Jim Gerwitz, in a statement, acknowledged Heiar’s controversial past, but said he was excited about the basketball program’s opportunity. The school said it was aware of the lawsuits involving Heiar and New Mexico State and considered the litigation and related allegations during the hiring process.
“Greg brings a wealth of knowledge on and off the field in recruiting, including coaching the NJCAA National Championship team,” said Gerwitz.
Gerwitz said the committee that hired Heiar looked at the college’s coaching career and contacted former administrators.
The school said it was aware of the lawsuits involving Heiar and New Mexico State and considered the litigation and related allegations during the hiring process.
In its statement, the school said it had “received very positive feedback regarding his ability to develop student-athletes, promote success both in the classroom and on the court, and create a championship culture that will provide a springboard for players to succeed in the Mineral College District and beyond.”
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