Tuesday's College Roundup: New Mexico State Fires Coach in Wake of Hazing Allegations

New Mexico State University, located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, is a public research university that offers an array of academic programs across several disciplines. It boasts 58 master's and 96 baccalaureate degree options for students.

After a police report listed three players as having engaged in false imprisonment, harassment and criminal sexual contact against a teammate, the school's basketball program was suspended for the remainder of the season. Chancellor Dan Arvizu indicated that further investigation will be conducted before making decisions regarding other coaching staff members.

New Mexico Fires Offensive Coordinator Derek Warehime

On Saturday, the New Mexico Lobos dropped their third consecutive game after allowing a 14-point first quarter lead against Wyoming to slip away. Head coach Danny Gonzales fired offensive coordinator Derek Warehime following the setback; however, UNM was able to rebound as it went on to win two of its next three matches.

Warehime had previously worked with Tom Herman at Houston in 2017 and served on His staff from 2015-18. While at UH, Warehime served as offensive line coach, tight ends coach, and special teams coordinator.

He also has extensive coaching experience at the high school level, having served as head coach of Cleveland High School in Albuquerque for several seasons. With a successful track record in the Borderland region, he led his team to three state championships during his time there.

Warehime's offensive line made significant improvements during his first season as full-time coordinator, leading the Lobos to an impressive 23.9 points per game in conference play. They climbed from 10th to fourth in total offense and from 10th to fourth in passing offense. Furthermore, the Lobos saw improvements in passing efficiency, first downs, third down conversion percentage and total third downs made.

Warehime, a Choctaw, Oklahoma native, began his coaching career as a student assistant for the offensive line at Tulsa in 2005. Subsequently he served as graduate assistant on the offensive line at Rice from 2006-07.

Prior to joining the Golden Hurricane, he played on Tulsa's 2003 Humanitarian Bowl team and earned first-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors in 2004. Additionally, he spent one season playing professionally with the Tulsa Talons of the Arena Football League.

In his first season at New Mexico in 2020, Warehime led an offense that rose from 10th in Mountain West total offense to fourth. Additionally, they improved their passing offense from 10th to fourth and their first downs, third down conversion percentage and overall rushing yards were all improved.

New Mexico State Fires Coach Greg Heiar

This season, New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball has faced a lot of difficulties, including coach firing and suspension due to hazing allegations. As a result, their season ended 9-15; further compounding matters is that six games remain forfeited in the Western Athletic Conference.

Dan Arvizu, the chancellor, dismissed Heiar after less than a year in charge. Campus police had issued a report accusing three Aggies players of hazing one of their teammates. Arvizu stated that decisions regarding Heiar's coaching staff would be made after further investigation.

Heiar was hired last offseason to replace Chris Jans, who led the Aggies to three NCAA Tournaments in five years before departing to coach Mississippi State. Prior to that he had served as head coach of Northwest Florida State and led them to a junior college national title during his only season there.

Heiar led the Aggies to a 9-15 record during his one season with them, but was fired months after an Aggie forward shot and killed a University of New Mexico student in self-defense. Both the school and district attorney have launched separate investigations into both shooting incidents.

On KTSM 9 News, some NMSU basketball fans were asked their opinion on Heiar's firing and its potential consequences for the program. Some expressed worry that hazing allegations could negatively affect NMSU's reputation; others felt it was an unfortunate circumstance.

"It's heartbreaking," NMSU student Shamarr Jackson lamented. "His treatment of the players wasn't right."

Heiar is not the first NMSU coach to face allegations of hazing during his career; Marvin Menzies and Paul Weir both encountered similar issues during their tenures at NMSU.

Heiar's situation differed from other coaches who faced allegations of bullying and harassment. His alleged abuse of his players was much more serious, occurring in front of the entire team.

On March 15, a campus police report revealed that an NMSU basketball player had been the victim of harassment by three of his teammates for several months. The victim was allegedly assaulted in front of the entire team, with them holding him down, taking away his clothes, and touching his buttocks.

New Mexico Fires Coach Heath Ridenour

Heath Ridenour, the former Cleveland High School coach who guided their team to five district titles and four state titles, is leaving the Storm program and joining Danny Gonzales' staff at UNM. It marks a dramatic departure for a program with an impressive record in high school football as well as an impressive history of success in college athletics.

This season, the Lobos have had difficulty scoring points, averaging only 19.3 per game and ranking 117th among FBS teams in scoring. Their offense has further deteriorated as they failed to score more than 10 points in each of their two losses this year.

On Saturday, Gonzales is making a change in the offensive coordinator. After firing Warehime after their loss to Wyoming last week, Gonzales has promoted quarterbacks coach Heath Ridenour to interim offensive coordinator.

Switching a coordinator during the middle of a season can be tricky, but Gonzales is well-versed and confident in this area. He understands how to make adjustments quickly, but emphasizes the importance of doing it right and according to what works best for the players.

NM State has the opportunity to try some different approaches against an UNM defense that is aggressive on the line of scrimmage and has been playing pressure-oriented, 3-3-5 football under Coach Rocky Long's tutelage. That will be an integral part of their game plan on Saturday.

For the Lobos, who are currently 0-3 in Mountain West play, their situation is similar. They have lost two straight games by a combined 14 points and failed to score an offensive touchdown in either defeat.

But the Lobos have still managed to outgain NM State, 269 yards to 225, with 18 first downs to 11 in each game. Furthermore, they hold a 12-minute advantage in time of possession.

That's a far cry from their start-of-season average of 7-18, but it also speaks to the talent on this UNM team and Gonzales' ability to mold them into an impressive unit that can compete against any in the country.

Alabama Fires Coach Nate Oats

Alabama basketball has enjoyed a remarkable 19-3 and 9-0 SEC record this season, and head coach Nate Oats looks set to receive an extension that will keep him at the school until 2028-29. The contract is expected to be approved by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees on Friday.

Oats, in his fourth season at Alabama, has guided the Crimson Tide to an SEC title and two trips to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. Prior to that he had coached at Buffalo for three seasons and amassed an 80-39 record.

Experts describe hazing as a common practice among college fraternities and sororities that involves drinking, drugs, sleep deprivation and other extreme behaviors to make new pledges feel accepted, according to experts. Although these rituals and practices may begin as harmless exercises at first glance, they can quickly escalate into more serious matters.

CNN was contacted by experts and former pledges who noted the potential dangers of hazing. Yet students may feel it necessary for their social and emotional development, as it allows them to form bonds with other participants. Furthermore, hazing provides them with a sense of prestige as well as access to an exclusive social network which could prove invaluable in the future.

Recently, a study revealed that students who had been hazed experienced higher levels of anxiety and depression, as well as less ability to form friendships. Furthermore, it demonstrated that hazing wasn't just an isolated incident but continued behavior that continued for several years after leaving fraternity or sorority life.

Research has demonstrated that hazing can be especially challenging for women and minorities, who lack access to social networks and other support systems. Furthermore, researchers have observed an increased severity of hazing at smaller schools where social pressures may be greater.

That is why more than 10% of high schoolers have experienced hazing at some point during their lives, as reported by Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana in a recent survey of students. That number increases even higher when looking at college athletes as a group, according to this survey's results.

Hazing can have devastating consequences for college students, and experts agree that it needs to be addressed. Whether through more extensive training and education or improved policies for dealing with potential issues, those affected by hazing need to know they're not alone. Furthermore, having a clear student code of conduct that addresses hazing is necessary in order to prevent future victims from experiencing similar harm.