LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Defense wins championships. That's where new men's basketball Defensive Analyst Edmond Pryor comes in.
 
It was announced Thursday by Head Coach Greg Heiar that Pryor would be joining the staff ahead of the 2022-23 season. Pryor, originally from Chicago, joins an NM State group with natives of the Windy City already represented throughout.
 
"I'm really excited to announce the hiring of Edmond Pryor," Coach Heiar said. "EP has done a tremendous job building long-lasting relationships with student-athletes throughout his career. His personality really impressed me from the first time I met him along with his feel for the game and basketball IQ."
 
Pryor is a well-known figure in the landscape and community of Chicagoland basketball. A veteran basketball coach with over two decades of experience, Pryor makes his way to Las Cruces after spending the previous two seasons at Triton College in River Grove, Ill. While with Triton, he helped lead the Trojans to a 50-10 record across two seasons, including reaching the NJCAA Division I Final Four last season.
 
"I'm thrilled to be joining the NM State men's basketball staff with its rich tradition of excellence & winning culture," said Pryor. "Head Coach Greg Heiar is a visionary that is not just involved in basketball - he's committed. There is a difference. And that commitment is infectious and will lead us to unparalleled success"
 
The Aggies' newest assistant also played a role in developing Triton forward and First Team All-American Patrick Suemnick who averaged 12.0 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 55 percent from the field in his lone season with Triton.
 
Before coaching on the Triton staff, Pryor served as the head coach at Wilbur Wright College for three seasons from 2017-20. In his first season at the helm, Pryor instrumented a 14-win increase after inheriting a program that won just two games in 2016-17. In total, Wilbur Wright accomplished 36 wins with Pryor serving as its bench boss.
 
Pryor's longest tenure as a coach came when he was an assistant at Malcom X College from 2011-17 where he assumed important roles in player skill development, player conditioning and game planning.
 
"He is an energy guy and has an excellent feel for people," Heiar later continued. "Aggie Nation you are going to really enjoy getting to know EP!"