Former Wichita State assistant coach Gear Heiar has been tabbed as the next head coach for New Mexico State, the team announced on Sunday. The head coaching job became open earlier this week following the departure of Chris Jans, also a former WSU assistant coach, to Mississippi State.

“I am grateful to Chancellor Arvizu and Mario Moccia for entrusting me as the leader of one of the most respected college basketball programs in the nation,” Heiar said in a statement. “NM State has a rich tradition of basketball success dating back over a century and I am humbled by the opportunity to continue that success. I have known Chris Jans for almost 30 years and hope to build upon what he achieved at NM State over the last half-decade. My family and I can’t wait to call Las Cruces home.”

Heiar most recently served as the head coach at Northwest Florida State College, where he lead them to the NJCAA Division I National Championship in Hutchinson, Kansas. The national title was Northwest Florida State College’s third all-time.

Heiar spent six seasons as an assistant at WSU under former head coach Gregg Marshall. During Heiar’s tenure with the Shockers, WSU won 179 games, five Missouri Valley Conference regular season championships and made six straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, including the program’s second-ever Final Four appearance in 2013.

Heiar will look to build off NMSU’s run in this year’s NCAA Tournament. The Aggies knocked off No. 5 seed Connecticut behind the contributions of former Shocker Teddy Allen. On Sunday, Allen announced he is declaring for the 2022 NBA Draft and is signing with an agent.