LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State University fired its athletic director after a scathing anti-hazing report from our state’s attorney general.

KOB 4 heard from university leaders for the first time Friday. They made it clear their decision to part ways with former athletic director, Mario Moccia, was entirely their decision.

“We as an athletic department will continue moving forward. We owe that to our student athletes, our coaches and our staff,” said Amber Burdge, NMSU’s acting athletics director. 

NMSU President Valerio Ferme says there was no influence from state leaders or other officials. He essentially confirmed the recently-released report from the New Mexico Department of Justice was the final nail in the coffin.

“We’ve made tremendous strides toward building a culture within the athletic department and on this campus that you can be proud of, and I am confident that we will continue to build on that culture moving forward,” said Burdge.

Burdge faced the press for the first time Friday morning, less than 24 hours after she was named the acting athletics director at New Mexico State University.

“My whole focus is on moving this athletic department forward,” said Burdge. 

NMSU leaders – including Ferme – put Burdge in charge after firing Moccia, who is a recurring character in the New Mexico Department of Justice’s final report on the notorious men’s basketball team hazing scandal.

“That was a decision that I made based on my reading of these materials,” Ferme said. 

Two former basketball players sued the school back in 2023, alleging other players sexually assaulted them multiple times and their coaches didn’t stop it.

A grand jury indicted DeShawndre Washington, Kim Aiken Jr., and Doctor Bradley on criminal charges later that year. 

According to the DOJ’s report, those incidents were “reflective of a more pervasive toxic culture throughout the program.” A program under Moccia’s control. 

“Once you start reading the report, you also start looking at all the other stuff that is surrounding the report. From my perspective, you have to have a little bit of humility as an institution, to say, ‘Let’s look at what happened. Let’s take responsibility for some of it. Let’s see what we’re doing well, let’s see what we’re not doing.’ And then having the courage to say, ‘Oh, you know what, we really need to move forward,’” said Ferme. 

Ferme confirmed Moccia will not receive a buyout. He says NMSU is already working to implement several suggestions packed inside the DOJ’s report, such as hiring a director of anti-hazing efforts.

“That’s going to be one of our first moves, is to do that, and provide them with a budget to start doing programming that will continue to enhance what we’re already doing,” Ferme said.  

Burdge is stepping up from her former role as deputy athletics director with what Ferme calls a “student-first mindset.”

“100% of my focus will be on supporting our coaches and our staff so that they’re able to provide the student athletes an excellent experience here,” said Burdge. 

The DOJ report is also encouraging the university to implement anti-hazing training for all students and staff, and creating a sexual violence resource center on campus.

The report is also urging New Mexico state lawmakers to pass anti-hazing legislation, something the vast majority of other states have already done.