Cross Country
Heins, Eric
Eric Heins
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- erich@GoCards.com
- Phone:
- 852-0011
BIRTHDAY: April 8, 1977
COACHING RESPONSIBILITY: Cross Country, Distance
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree (University of Cincinnati, 1999); Master of Science (Indiana University, 2001)
YEAR AT LOUISVILLE: Third
HOMETOWN: Zanesville, Ohio
FAMILY: Wife, Kaci, son Chase
COACHING CAREER
2021-Present: Louisville (Assistant Coach)
2019-21 – University of St. Thomas-Houston (Head Coach)
2009-16 – Northern Arizona University (Director of Track and Field and Cross Country)
2007-09 – Northern Arizona University (Head Cross Country Coach, Assistant Track Coach)
2006-07 – Texas Christian University (Assistant Track and Cross Country Coach)
2003-06 – Southeast Missouri State University (Assistant Track and Cross Country Coach)
ATHLETIC CAREER
• University of Cincinnati Cross Country and Track Varsity Athlete: 1995-1999
• Indiana University Track Varsity Athlete while pursuing graduate degree: 2000
• Competitor in the 2008 United States Olympic Marathon Trials
• Winner of the 2004 St. Louis Marathon
Eric Heins enters his third season as the assistant coach for cross country and track (distance) at the University of Louisville.
During the 2022 cross country season, Heins helped guide Ian Kibiwot to a 17th-place finish and All-Region honors at the 2022 NCAA Southeast Regional. On the track, Kibiwot set a new program record in the men's 10000m, recording a time of 28:27.67 at the Stanford Invitational. Heins also helped Isaac Kiprop to an NCAA East Region Preliminary Round qualification in the men's 3000m steeplechase.
After joining the Cardinals in March 2021, Heins coached Albert Kosgei to a bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase at the ACC Outdoor Championships. Kosgei went on to earn an All-America honorable mention in the event. Four of his athletes qualified for the 2021 NCAA East Region Preliminary Round. The following season, Louisville sent four more distance runners to the preliminary round.
Heins came to Louisville from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas where he built the Celts’ first men’s and women’s varsity track and field programs prior to their first season of competition in 2021.
Before his stint at the University of St. Thomas, Heins spent 13 seasons at Northern Arizona University (2007-19), serving as the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country programs from 2009-16. He will be inducted in the NAU Athletics Lumberjack Hall of Fame in September 2022 after a storied career in which he helped guide NAU cross country and track and field programs to national prominence.
His coaching resume features 64 individual conference champions, 14 All-Americans, two national champions, and one Olympian. In his 13 seasons at NAU, Heins guided the men's teams to six podium finishes, including 2016 national championship – the school’s first in any sport as well as the first NCAA Championship for a Big Sky Conference school outside of football. Following the season, he was named the 2016 USTFCCCA Bill Dellinger Award Winner and NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year.
In addition to earning NCAA Division I Men’s Mountain Regional Cross Country Coach of the Year honors in both 2013 and 2016, Heins also led two women's teams to the NCAA Championships including a seventh-place finish in 2007.
Heins collected numerous Big Sky Conference laurels throughout his career. He was named the Big Sky Conference's men's Coach of the Year in both the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons in each of his last five seasons as a head coach. He also swept the women's indoor and outdoor Coach of the Year awards in 2014 and was named the women's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year again in 2016.
He began his career at NAU as the head cross country coach while serving as an assistant on the track and field coaching staff from 2007-09. He was named the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country in 2009 and served in that role until 2016.
In December, 2016, Heins stepped away from coaching when he moved with his wife and son to Houston and worked as a senior admissions officer for Northern Arizona in that area.
Prior to his time at Northern Arizona, Heins was an assistant track and cross country coach at TCU (2006-06). He began his collegiate coaching career at Southeast Missouri State where he served as an assistant track and cross country coach from 2003-06.
Heins earned his Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Education from the University of Cincinnati in 1999. While in Cincinnati, he competed for the Bearcats in track and field and cross country from 1995-99. He went on to earn his Master of Science Degree in Kinesiology in 2001 from Indiana University, where he also spent one season as a varsity track and field athlete for the Hoosiers.
In 2004, Heins won the 2004 St. Louis Marathon, and competed in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials.
COACHING HIGHLIGHTS
NORTHERN ARIZONA
• Will be inducted into the NAU Athletics Lumberjack Hall of Fame in September 2022
• Coached 64 Conference Champions, 14 All-Americans, two national champions and one Olympian
• NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, USTFCCCA Bill Dellinger Award: 2016
• NCAA Division I Men’s Mountain Regional Cross Country Coach of the Year: 2013, 2016
• NCAA Division I Men’s Mountain Regional Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year: 2013
• Big Sky Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year: 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016
• Big Sky Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016
• Big Sky Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year: 2014
• Big Sky Men’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• Big Sky Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year: 2014, 2016
• Big Sky Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
NCAA CHAMPIONS
• Northern Arizona Men’s Cross Country Team, 2016
• David McNeill, 2010 (5000m, Indoor and Outdoor)
OLYMPIAN
• Diego Estrada, 2012 London Olympics (Mexico, 10,000m)
COACHING RESPONSIBILITY: Cross Country, Distance
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree (University of Cincinnati, 1999); Master of Science (Indiana University, 2001)
YEAR AT LOUISVILLE: Third
HOMETOWN: Zanesville, Ohio
FAMILY: Wife, Kaci, son Chase
COACHING CAREER
2021-Present: Louisville (Assistant Coach)
2019-21 – University of St. Thomas-Houston (Head Coach)
2009-16 – Northern Arizona University (Director of Track and Field and Cross Country)
2007-09 – Northern Arizona University (Head Cross Country Coach, Assistant Track Coach)
2006-07 – Texas Christian University (Assistant Track and Cross Country Coach)
2003-06 – Southeast Missouri State University (Assistant Track and Cross Country Coach)
ATHLETIC CAREER
• University of Cincinnati Cross Country and Track Varsity Athlete: 1995-1999
• Indiana University Track Varsity Athlete while pursuing graduate degree: 2000
• Competitor in the 2008 United States Olympic Marathon Trials
• Winner of the 2004 St. Louis Marathon
Eric Heins enters his third season as the assistant coach for cross country and track (distance) at the University of Louisville.
During the 2022 cross country season, Heins helped guide Ian Kibiwot to a 17th-place finish and All-Region honors at the 2022 NCAA Southeast Regional. On the track, Kibiwot set a new program record in the men's 10000m, recording a time of 28:27.67 at the Stanford Invitational. Heins also helped Isaac Kiprop to an NCAA East Region Preliminary Round qualification in the men's 3000m steeplechase.
After joining the Cardinals in March 2021, Heins coached Albert Kosgei to a bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase at the ACC Outdoor Championships. Kosgei went on to earn an All-America honorable mention in the event. Four of his athletes qualified for the 2021 NCAA East Region Preliminary Round. The following season, Louisville sent four more distance runners to the preliminary round.
Heins came to Louisville from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas where he built the Celts’ first men’s and women’s varsity track and field programs prior to their first season of competition in 2021.
Before his stint at the University of St. Thomas, Heins spent 13 seasons at Northern Arizona University (2007-19), serving as the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country programs from 2009-16. He will be inducted in the NAU Athletics Lumberjack Hall of Fame in September 2022 after a storied career in which he helped guide NAU cross country and track and field programs to national prominence.
His coaching resume features 64 individual conference champions, 14 All-Americans, two national champions, and one Olympian. In his 13 seasons at NAU, Heins guided the men's teams to six podium finishes, including 2016 national championship – the school’s first in any sport as well as the first NCAA Championship for a Big Sky Conference school outside of football. Following the season, he was named the 2016 USTFCCCA Bill Dellinger Award Winner and NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year.
In addition to earning NCAA Division I Men’s Mountain Regional Cross Country Coach of the Year honors in both 2013 and 2016, Heins also led two women's teams to the NCAA Championships including a seventh-place finish in 2007.
Heins collected numerous Big Sky Conference laurels throughout his career. He was named the Big Sky Conference's men's Coach of the Year in both the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons in each of his last five seasons as a head coach. He also swept the women's indoor and outdoor Coach of the Year awards in 2014 and was named the women's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year again in 2016.
He began his career at NAU as the head cross country coach while serving as an assistant on the track and field coaching staff from 2007-09. He was named the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country in 2009 and served in that role until 2016.
In December, 2016, Heins stepped away from coaching when he moved with his wife and son to Houston and worked as a senior admissions officer for Northern Arizona in that area.
Prior to his time at Northern Arizona, Heins was an assistant track and cross country coach at TCU (2006-06). He began his collegiate coaching career at Southeast Missouri State where he served as an assistant track and cross country coach from 2003-06.
Heins earned his Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Education from the University of Cincinnati in 1999. While in Cincinnati, he competed for the Bearcats in track and field and cross country from 1995-99. He went on to earn his Master of Science Degree in Kinesiology in 2001 from Indiana University, where he also spent one season as a varsity track and field athlete for the Hoosiers.
In 2004, Heins won the 2004 St. Louis Marathon, and competed in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials.
COACHING HIGHLIGHTS
NORTHERN ARIZONA
• Will be inducted into the NAU Athletics Lumberjack Hall of Fame in September 2022
• Coached 64 Conference Champions, 14 All-Americans, two national champions and one Olympian
• NCAA Division I Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, USTFCCCA Bill Dellinger Award: 2016
• NCAA Division I Men’s Mountain Regional Cross Country Coach of the Year: 2013, 2016
• NCAA Division I Men’s Mountain Regional Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year: 2013
• Big Sky Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year: 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016
• Big Sky Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016
• Big Sky Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year: 2014
• Big Sky Men’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• Big Sky Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year: 2014, 2016
• Big Sky Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
NCAA CHAMPIONS
• Northern Arizona Men’s Cross Country Team, 2016
• David McNeill, 2010 (5000m, Indoor and Outdoor)
OLYMPIAN
• Diego Estrada, 2012 London Olympics (Mexico, 10,000m)
TFXC: Joe Franklin 2024 Fall Sports Media Day
Tuesday, August 13
Cross Country Head Coach Joe Franklin Media Day 2023
Monday, February 26
2019 Louisville Athletics Hall Of Fame Ceremony
Wednesday, October 30
University of Louisville Fall Media Day Cross Country
Thursday, August 09
