Former New Mexico State basketball coach Greg Heiar said he did not know about hazing allegations within his program when was fired with cause in February and accused the school of terminating him because it needed a «sacrificial lamb» after a series of incidents, according to arbitration documents obtained by ESPN.
Heiar's termination followed a decision by Dan Arvizu, the school's former chancellor, to cancel the season in February after former player Mike Peake had been involved in a self-defense shooting in November and the revelation of a hazing investigation tied to accusations of sexual assault and harassment within the team.
In June, NMSU agreed to pay $8 million combined to former NMSU player Deuce Benjamin and his father, William, and former NMSU player Shak Odunewu.
In its response to Heiar and his legal team, NMSU denied the bulk of the former head coach's allegations, according to the arbitration documents, but it also said the coach «refused to cooperate» with the hazing investigation prior to his termination for cause.