Following-up on something that I mentioned late last week in a TWEET…former New Mexico State head coach Greg Heiar has been named as the head coach at NJCAA D1 Mineral Area College. Here’s the official release from MAC:
Mineral Area College has hired Greg Heiar as Head Men’s Basketball Coach. He comes to the college with over 20 years of college coaching experience and was the NJCAA National Coach of the Year after leading the Northwest Florida State College Raiders to an NJCAA D1 National Championship in 2022.
MAC Athletic Director Jim Gerwitz says he’s excited about this opportunity for Mineral Area College Basketball.
“Greg brings a wealth of knowledge on the court and off the court in recruiting, including having coached a NJCAA National Championship team,” he said.
Heiar’s previous assistant coaching assignments include Loras College (2002-2003), Chipola College (2003-2004), University of Southern Mississippi (2009-2011), Wichita State University (2011-2017), Louisiana State University (2017-2020), East Tennessee State University (2020-2021). His head coaching stints include Chipola College (2004-2009), Northwest Florida State College (2021-2022), and New Mexico State University (2022-2023).
Heiar’s lengthy career has not been without controversy, but Gerwitz said the hiring committee carefully considered the entirety of Coach Heiar’s college coaching career, contacted past administrators, and received overwhelmingly 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 be successful at Mineral Area College and beyond.
Gerwitz noted that Heiar is looking forward to the next step in his coaching career and is thankful for the opportunity to coach at MAC.
“My family and I look forward to being a part of this great institution and community,” Heiar said. “Now it’s time to get started building a championship team!”
“We are confident Greg will embrace our community and recruit quality student-athletes for our program,” Gerwitz said. “We look forward to welcoming him to MAC.”
For media inquiries, contact Dr. Joe Gilgour, MAC President, Mineral Area College, [email protected]
