New Mexico State Men's Basketball Coach Fired Over Hazing Allegations

New Mexico State men's basketball coach Greg Heiar was fired Monday over hazing allegations.

A press conference is scheduled to be held Wednesday where Aggies chancellor Dan Arvizu and Director of Athletics Mario Moccia will give further details into the case, Las Cruise Sun-News reported.

"Earlier today, I made the decision to terminate men's basketball coach Greg Heiar. Director of Athletics Mario Moccia informed him of my decision this afternoon. This comes after learning of hazing allegations involving student-athletes on our men's basketball team," Arvizu said in a statement, according to the outlet.

"As I've stated previously, hazing has no place on our campus, and those found responsible will be held accountable for their actions. I am committed to the safety and well-being of all members of our campus community, as well as to the integrity of our university," he added.

Decisions on the rest of the coaching staff will reportedly be made following further investigation.

The program for the season was suspended in the wake of the allegations. The firing came after campus a player told the campus police that three teammates ganged up on him and attacked him, CBS News reported.

The player claimed the attackers "held him down with him facing down, removed his clothing exposing his buttocks and began to 'slap his ass.'" He said they touched his scrotum, adding that all of this happened in the full view of other players, according to Yahoo Sports.

The complaint was brought on Feb. 10 and was made public Sunday. Heiar was just one year away from being named the head coach.

Heiar, 47, started off his career as an assistant for former Aggies coach Chris Jans, who was hired by Mississippi State only last season. Prior to joining the Aggies, Heiar was at Northwest Florida State, where he helped the team win the national title.

Heiar was hired on March 28, 2022, for a base salary of $300,000 per season up until 2027. His contract included multiple monetary incentives, with the add-on of the recent $2,500 reward for his team's Sept. 10 victory over UTEP.

The school has vowed to investigate the hazing allegations.

"We will work to ensure we fully understand what happened here and that those found responsible are held accountable," the school said in a statement, as per CBS News. "We will also ensure that support systems are in place to prevent this from happening again."