Greg Heiar has been named head men’s basketball coach at Northwest Florida State College, Athletic Director Ramsey Ross and NWFSC President Dr. Devin Stephenson announced on Tuesday. Heiar (pronounced “higher”) most recently served as an assistant coach at East Tennessee State.
Fans, faculty and media are invited to welcome Heiar and his family at a press conference set for 1 p.m. on Monday, April 5, in Raider Arena.
“This is a great day for Northwest Florida State athletics,” Ross said. “We are excited to welcome Greg and his family to Niceville. He has proven himself as a winner on the court and will be an outstanding addition to our department and community.”
Heiar, who has over 20 years of coaching experience, spent three seasons on LSU’s staff, where he was an associate head coach in 2019. Prior to LSU, Heiar held assistant coaching stints at Wichita State (2011-17), Southern Miss (2009-11), Chipola College (2003-04) and Loras College (2002-03). Heiar was the head coach at Chipola from 2004-09, while he began his career as a student assistant at Mount St. Clare College in 2000 and started as a graduate assistant at Loras in 2001.
“I am thrilled to become a part of the Northwest Florida State College family,” Heiar said.
“In my years as an assistant at the highest levels of Division I, I have always been eager to return to the head coach’s chair. I’d like to thank Dr. Stephenson and Ramsey for this opportunity. Let’s get to work Raider Nation.”
During his six years at Chipola – the last five as a head coach – Heiar’s teams won 164 games as a head coach, while capturing five Panhandle Conference titles and making four appearances in the NJCAA Tournament. Heiar led Chipola to a third-place finish in 2009 when his team posted a 35-2 record. Overall, Heiar earned five Panhandle Conference Coach of the Year and four Region VIII Coach of the Year honors. The successful run led to Heiar coaching 40 all-conference players and sending 39 players to Division I programs.
“Greg Heiar rose to the top of a long list of applicants as an authentic fit for the Raider basketball program,” Dr. Stephenson said. “Coach Heiar possesses the innovation, energy, enthusiasm, experience, and the commitment to creating a quality program that will represent our institution and community with class and integrity.”
Heiar started his coaching career at his alma mater, Mount St. Clare College (later Franciscan University), where he was a student assistant. As a student-athlete at Mount St. Clare, Heiar – a two-year captain and team MVP – was a first team all-conference selection and led the team to its first conference title in program history. Heiar graduated from Mount St. Clare in 2000. Prior to Mount St. Clare, Heiar played two seasons at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he led the team to the NJCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
Heiar, a native of Dubuque, Iowa, is married to his wife, Jessica, and they have one daughter, Alexis.
https://www.nwfraiders.com/sports/mbkb/2020-21/releases/20210330f0eakj
