Furthermore, Wichita State was also among the national statistical leaders over that six-year stretch: T3rdin defensive field goal percentage (.390) Men's Basketball - Western New Mexico University Athletics New Mexico State hired Heiar from Northwest Florida State, where in 2021-22 he led the Raiders to the junior college national championship, the third in the school's history. A second assault on Odunewu, the lawsuit alleged, occurred during a bus ride on Nov. 12, 2022 and involved Aiken, Bradley, and Washington. In the past week, former New Mexico State basketball players Deuce Benjamin and Shakiru Odunewu, and Bejamin's father, William Benjamin, sued the Board of Regents, former head coach Greg Heiar . 11 Purdue again in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Louisville was the No. Defendants NMSU and Heiar, Loss of Consortium Brought Pursuant to the Tort Claims Act Plaintiff William Benjamin vs. The following season in 2009-10, Florida won the SEC regular season championship and went 29-8 overall, advancing the Elite Eight, losing to a Cinderella Butler squad 74-71 in overtime. "As I've stated previously, hazing has no place on our campus, and those found responsible will be held accountable for their actions," Arvizu said in a statement. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Additionally, FIU reached the Sun Belt Tournament Title game as a four seed, before falling to Western Kentucky in the tournament championship game, 6563. Its just been a big part of my life, I mean, I feel like thats probably the best thing that I do, so I stay with it, said Coach Brazil. The Golden Gophers picked up five wins over nationally ranked opponents including No. Coach Brazil then went on to coach the Springer Red Devils, winning the state championship in 2002 and 2004. Along the way, the Golden Gophers knocked off three top-20 teams in No. Following a historically bad third-year at Minnesota, Coach Pitino orchestrated an impressive turnaround by improving the team's record by 16 wins, utilizing a revamped roster that included five new contributors. 24 ranking during the season. PORTALES, N.M. . Louisville was the No. "The attacks usually happened in the locker room before workouts or before practices. Men's Basketball at Eastern New Mexico University February 20, 2023 7:30 PM MT. Minnesota then beat SMU 65-63 for the NIT title. The Lobos beat National Runner Up San Diego St on the road and also defeated NCAA tournament team Boise St during conference play. [4] With only six players remaining from the previous season, and not all of them on scholarship, Pitino cobbled together a team and coached a high-pressure defense that finished eighth in the nation in steals. With the Panthers, he took over a program that had not turned in a winning season in 12 years and immediately turned them around. The Benjamins and Odunewu are asking for compensation over damages,as well as punitive damages leveled against NMSU over allegations of negligence. Further released details, via ESPN, indicate once Peake arrived, the students Travis, two of his friends and a 17-year-old female attacked him with bats. LAS CRUCES New Mexico State has hired Northwest Florida State College men's basketball head coach Greg Heiar to succeed Chris Jans. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the team defeated Morehead State, Siena and Arizona before losing to second-seeded Michigan State in an Elite Eight matchup. Heiar's return to the junior college ranks came directly after a one-year stay in Johnson City, Tenn., as an assistant coach at East Tennessee State. They would slap his buttocks and grab his scrotum and twist it, inflicting great pain. During his six years at Chipola the last five as a head coach Heiar's teams won 164 games as a head coach, while capturing five Panhandle Conference titles and making four appearances in the National Junior College Tournament. New Mexico State University Athletics That particular Kirkwood squad was coached by Chris Jans who was in his first season as a head coach at any level. Coach Pitino immediately found success in recruiting by attacking the newly invigorated transfer portal. At least one other player and a member of the staff were subjected to the same or similar treatment from those individual defendants. LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- In the span of five months, the NMSU Men's basketball program was involved in a deadly shooting, three players . Twitter. On April 3, 2013, despite having only one year of head coaching experience at FIU, Pitino was hired to become the 17th head coach in University of Minnesota history,[5] replacing Tubby Smith. New Mexico coach out of job after after pointing gun at former player 12 as the team started out 13-3. New Mexico hires Richard Pitino as men's basketball coach Richard and his wife Jill are the parents of two daughters, Ava and Zoe, and a son, Jack. T18th in defensive 3-point field goal percentage (.320) "This action is clearly needed, especially after receiving additional facts and reviewing investigation reports related to the hazing allegations involving student-athletes on the team," Arvizu said in a statement on Sunday, adding that it's "time for this program to reset.". [6] On April 3, 2014, exactly one year to the date he was hired, Pitino won his first NIT Championship by defeating coach Larry Brown's SMU team 6563, securing a school record 25th win. 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17, facing Middle Tennessee State in the opening round. The release by New Mexico State police called Peake who was also shot at the scene a victim acting in self-defense. Pitinos success isnt just as a head coach, as he has been a part of several deep NCAA Tournament runs as an assistant and as an associate head coach. Heiar, the former Northwest Florida State coach, was hired by New Mexico State University in March 2022. / There were at least two victims who had reported abuse by December. Albuquerque Journal/IMAGO. Additionally, five players were drafted into the NBA G League. In his first season with Florida, the Gators went 21-13 overall, making it to the NCAA Tournament as a 10-seed where they would lose 99-92 in double overtime to BYU. To see the kids that Ive coached go on to be successful, you know, in their daily lives, thats probably one of the things that I enjoy the most, said Coach Brazil. Requests for comment to Heiar, Taylor and Bradley by the Sun-News were not immediately returned. William Benjamin was concerned about changes he saw in his son and confronted him about it, according to the complaint. University of New Mexico men's basketball coach Richard Pitino will not be on the sideline for Saturday night's Lobo basketball game against Utah State after testing positive for COVID-19. Heiar spent his days as a student-athlete at two institutions - Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Mount St. Clare College in Clinton, Iowa. In a statement issued Wednesday, New Mexico State University said, "While NMSU does not comment on pending litigation, we want to assure everyone that this issue is being taken seriously. All Rights Reserved. On March 17, 2021, less than 24 hours after Pitino was fired by Minnesota, Pitino became the 22nd Head Coach in University of New Mexico program history. With the Panthers, he took over a program that had not turned in a winning season in 12 years and immediately turned them around. Though the New Mexico program has struggled as of late, it's a job with a track record for sending coaches on to bigger gigs. Greg Heiar Named 27th Head Coach of NM State Men's Basketball Team He spent two separate stints at Louisville coaching alongside his Hall of Fame father Rick Pitino. Current Chicago Bulls coach and former longtime Florida coach Billy Donovan was an influential voice behind the scenes in Pitino's hiring at New Mexico, sources told CBS Sports. Pitino was officiall", Pitino Announces Three Men's Basketball Staff Revisions:: www.UofLSports.com, "Top Workplaces | The Courier-Journal | Nominate a Workplace", "Pitino says his son will coach Fla. International", "Minnesota hires Richard Pitino as coach", "Osenieks surprises, helps Gophers advance to NIT final", "SMU vs. Minnesota - Game Recap - April 3, 2014 - ESPN", "Men's Basketball Postseason Honors Big Ten Conference Official Site", "Gophers announce they are parting ways with Richard Pitino", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Pitino&oldid=1149725257, Louisville Cardinals men's basketball coaches, Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball coaches, Northeastern Huskies men's basketball coaches, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 April 2023, at 02:05. Story Links. NMSU Police issued a report listing possible criminal charges of false imprisonment, criminal sexual contact and harassment. 13 Purdue, No. Warning: The following article contains detailed allegations related to sexual assault, bullying and gun violence. The Golden Gophers earned a No. That squad was ranked the entire season, getting as high as No. His father, Rick Pitino, is currently enjoying a renaissance of his own as the former Kentucky and Louisville coach just led Iona to an NCAA Tournament berth in his first season on the job. There, the No. "On one occasion during the summer of 2022, Shak was taking a shower in the Aggie locker room, when Doctor Bradley, and Kim Aiken, Jr. ripped the shower curtain aside. On Monday, the school also announced the signing of Jacksonville State and Wichita State transfer Clarence 'Monzy' Jackson. Arvizu said the players and coaching staff were called back to the school in Las Cruces and interviewed by university personnel specially trained to conduct investigations into hazing incidents. 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17, facing Middle Tennessee in the opening round. On March 21, 2019, in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, No. The 2019-20 season was highlighted by the play of Daniel Oturu, who earned Third Team All-America honors from CBS and The Sporting News, becoming the first Golden Gopher named All-America since Kris Humphries was named Honorable Mention in 2004. This was a rebuild that, on paper, looked like it would take time, with few . New Mexico hires Richard Pitino as next coach less than 24 hours after Pitino has also had assistant coaching stops at Duquesne, Northeastern and the College of Charleston. 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Heiar's tenure at Chipola began as an assistant coach under then-head coach Chris Jans in 2003-04. The 24 wins marked the second time in his career that his team surpassed the previous school record for wins. Just one year after a dismal 8-21 campaign, Pitino led FIU to an 18-14 record and a third-place finish in the Sun Belts East Division. 4 overall. LAS CRUCES New Mexico State has hired Northwest Florida State College men's basketball head coach Greg Heiar to succeed Chris Jans. In 2020-21, Minnesota climbed up to No. 1 in both polls. "William was very upset and tried to reach Coach Heiar and Athletic Director Mario (Moccia), who did notreturn his calls," according to the complaint. New Mexico basketball coach is a living legend - krqe.com Three former Eastern New Mexico University women's basketball players have filed a federal lawsuit against the school claiming their coach forced them to go to her home in . Pitino was named Big Ten Coach of the Year on both the coaches and media teams as well as by the Associated Press. The team was ranked for five weeks over the course of the season and listed in the polls for nine consecutive weeks. Travis was pronounced dead at the scene, and Peake was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Minnesota then beat SMU 65-63 for the NIT title. Peake was not listed as a suspect at the time. Richard William Pitino (born September 16, 1982) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the New Mexico Lobos men's team. The team was ranked for five weeks over the course of the season and listed in the polls for nine consecutive weeks. 10. Severe Weather The Official Athletic Site of the New Mexico Lobos, partner of WMT Digital. "When the behavior goes too far, and crosses the line into nonconsensual touching, it is not mere hazing; it is battery and sexual assault. Pitino, 38, brings with him to the Duke City a wealth of experience in the Division I coaching ranks, including plenty of postseason experience. Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion According to a New Mexico State University Police Department report, a player reported the alleged incidents on Friday, claiming they have been "hazed" by three teammates in the locker room of both home and away games for several months, usually in front of the entire team. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion Now new head coach Jason Hooten is tasked with rebuilding the program to its former glory. Heiar's firing comes after the university canceled the remainder of the 2022-23 men's basketball season on Sunday and placed the basketball coach and his entire coaching staff on paid administrative leave. The Lobo basketball coaching search should end in Chicago, with three names surfaced so far and a big decision looming. The Golden Gophers defeated Pitinos former school, Louisville, in the First Round before falling to No. Prior to LSU, Heiar spent six seasons as an assistant at Wichita State where the Shockers reached historic heights during his tenure. 1 in both polls. In his entire coaching career, Brazil has earned 656 total wins. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. ", "Sadly, hazing can become part of an organization's culture left unchecked," Arvizu said. In his first season with Florida, the Gators went 21-13 overall, making it to the NCAA Tournament as a 10-seed where they would lose 99-92 in double overtime to BYU. With that, The Sporting News breaks down the myriad incidents that took place under Heiar's watch, which ultimately led to his dismissal in Las Cruces, N.M. The gun used in the shooting was found wrapped in a towel at the hotel, but only after assistant coach Dominique Taylor told police Heiar had told him the three players knew where the weapon was. "We took this action after receiving reports of alleged hazing incidents within our men's basketball team," Arvizu said in his statement. The women, who are referred to as Jane Doe 1, 2 and 3, sued then-women's basketball coach Meghan De Los Reyes; her husband, Glen De Los Reyes; his company, Glen's Fitness Lab; the Eastern New . MORE:Best conference ever? Their work is underway and running in parallel to our own internal investigation into this matter.". On Nov. 19, forward Mike Peake was allegedly involved in a pre-dawn shootout on the University of New Mexico's campus while in Albuquerque for a game against the school, New Mexico State University officials said. Conference regular season champion "The important thing sometimes is for the student-athletes and you know to just be able to maybe have a different opportunity where things are different and it's clear andyou know starting over for everybody maybe might be the best thing at times," Hooten said. NMSU chancellor Dan Arvizu had previously suspended team operations amid an investigation into an alleged hazing incident involving members of the team. Pitino has also had assistant coaching stops at Duquesne, Northeastern and the College of Charleston. Winners of the Big East regular season title, Louisville also won the Big East Tournament title, defeating Syracuse in the title match. 19 Iowa. 24 ranking during the season. Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. Under Pitino, Minnesota players were awarded All-Big Ten honors 12 times including Nate Mason, who was named First Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media in 2016-17. National champion Regardless, the filing of the report prompted Arvizu to launch a university investigation into the basketball team; at the same time, NMSU placed Heiar and his staff on paid administrative leave and suspended team activities. 0:04. According to a statement issued by New Mexico State police the following day, four students from New Mexico lured Peake to the Albuquerque campus in the pre-dawn hours ahead of a basketball game between the two teams. He has been a part of seven NCAA Tournaments, including two as a head coach. "Richard Pitino is a proven winner with a track record of success on the court, including deep tournament runs and wins over nationally ranked programs, as well as proven success off the court by creating a tremendous student-athlete experience and supporting them as they earn their degrees. 0:49. 16 in the rankings and picked up five more nationally ranked wins, including a pair in the top 10. "This is the perfect time for a transition in Lobo Basketball," Weir said in a news release sent out the Albuquerque Journal. Phone. Lobo Basketball holds a special place in the hearts of New Mexicans, and I cannot wait to get started.". Dave Pilipovich returned to the program as Special Assistant to the Head Coach in May of 2022. The Official Athletic Site of the New Mexico Lobos, partner of WMT Digital. The Golden Gophers picked up five wins over nationally ranked opponents including No. Powerful Big 12 has chance to set records for March Madness bids. Updated: Jan 2, 2023 / 06:52 AM MST. . New Mexico State fires men's basketball coach Greg Heiar - ESPN His first stint at Louisville was from 2007-09, and both seasons ended in Elite Eight runs. Chris Jans - Head Coach - Men's Basketball Coaches - New Mexico State That year, Minnesota earned its first national ranking under Pitino, earning a No. A 17-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated battery and conspiracy in connection to the shooting, and no additional arrests have been announced. 19 Iowa, No. Pitino was named Minnesotas head coach in March of 2013 after one season as the head coach at Florida International.