Will NMSU Suspend Program As Long As Miami, San Francisco or Tulane?
Has a program spiraled out of control for a first-year coach more than what occurred under former juco mentor Greg Heiar, who succeeded Chris Jans (hired by Mississippi State after taking New Mexico State to three NCAA tourneys)? What in the world did Heiar, fired in mid-February less than a year after capturing NJCAA Tournament title, learn as an assistant the previous decade under disgraced coaches Larry Eustachy (Southern Mississippi), Gregg Marshall (Wichita State) and Will Wade (Louisiana State)?
The Aggies suspended their program after hazing incidents of sexual nature surfaced even after program was investigated following forward Mike Peake exchanging fatal gunshots with a student at rival New Mexico. Israeli redshirt freshman guard Shahar Lazar wrote in a post on social media about recently leaving NMSU's team: "In retrospect, I don't think the program that I originally committed to aligns with my beliefs and core values."
It remains to be seen whether NMSU suspends its renegade hoops program as long as Miami (Fla.), San Francisco and Tulane did before reviving them in the 1980s. Consider:
| School Discontinuing Program | Coach (Predecessor) | Hiatus | Summary of Suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami (Fla.) | Ron Godfrey (4 years after Bruce Hale) | 14 seasons (1971-72 through 1984-85) | Dwindling success (average of only eight wins in Godfrey's final two campaigns) and finances prompted school to drop the sport in 1971, which was six years after Hurricanes All-American Rick Barry led the nation in scoring with 37.4 ppg in 1964-65. |
| San Francisco | Peter Barry (2 years after Dan Belluomini) | 3 seasons (1982-83 through 1984-85) | Former NCAA champion dropped program after a 25-6 season in 1981-82 because of improprieties frowned upon by the university administration and the NCAA. All-American guard Quintin Dailey, in the course of trying to convince a probation officer he shouldn't go to jail after pleading guilty to one count of assault, revealed he had a $1,000-a-month summer job for which he didn't have to show up. The Dons averaged 22.5 victories annually in their last 11 years, finishing first or second in the WCAC standings each of those seasons. |
| Tulane | Ned Fowler (4 years after Roy Danforth) | 4 seasons (1985-86 through 1988-89) | Four Green Wave starters, including eventual pro standout John "Hot Rod" Williams, and a reserve were accused of shaving points in two games. Two of the five players, Clyde Eads and Jon Johnson, were granted immunity and testified that the others had also shaved points in exchange for cash and cocaine. Williams was acquitted and nobody served jail time, but university president Eamon Kelly shut down the program after averaging 17.5 wins annually during Fowler's reign. |