A new era of Defiance College Men’s Basketball is set to get underway on June 23, as Defiance College President Mark Gordon has announced the hiring of Thomas Heil as the next head coach. Heil will be the 20th head coach of the Defiance College Yellow Jackets and comes to DC after serving as an assistant coach at Baldwin Wallace for five seasons.
"I am thrilled that Tom Heil will be joining us as our Head Men’s Basketball Coach," said DC President Mark Gordon. "Among a group of over 150 applicants for this position from across the nation, Tom stood out in many ways.
"I also want to thank Coach Kyle Brumett publicly for his years of service and dedication to DC. We have a wonderful men’s basketball program at DC, combining a lustrous history together with a great group of returning student-athletes and a very impressive set of incoming recruits. With Tom Heil as our head coach, I am confident that we now have both a radiant tradition and a bright future. "
In five seasons on the Baldwin Wallace men’s basketball coaching staff, Heil helped guide the BW Yellow Jackets to an overall record of 58-44 and an Ohio Athletic Conference mark of 49-33. Baldwin Wallace had a 19-6 record in 2012-13 and went 14-13 overall in 2013-2014, picking up its third straight winning season.
"I would like to thank President Mark Gordon, Ken Wetstein and Jenni Morrison for the opportunity to become the next head coach at Defiance College, a great program that is full of tradition," said Heil. "I am very excited to be able to return to where I first started as a coach and I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with a great school, athletic department and men’s basketball program."
Heil had a previous stint with Defiance, serving as a graduate assistant coach for two seasons in 2007-08 and 2008-09, under Jon Miller for one season and then Kyle Brumett, whom he replaces.
"Tom Heil is a great fit for our Athletic Department and for our campus," said Vice President for Student Engagement and Dean of Students Ken Wetstein. "He is enthusiastic about Defiance College and the men’s basketball program and he understands the impact his team and players can have on campus and in the community. I am confident that he will build on the great tradition of DC men’s basketball."
During Heil’s time at DC, the Yellow Jackets posted seasons of 19 and 18 wins, respectively, and captured the 2007-08 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship. Heil’s main areas of responsibility included recruiting, strength and conditioning and perimeter player skill development in his first two years at DC.
"It was a great experience to coach under Coach Miller and Coach Brumett during my time in Defiance," said Heil. "I had the opportunity to learn and really understand the tradition of the program and the players and coaches who have been a part of making DC a great place. It is a great honor to join the list of coaches that have been at Defiance and I am excited to get started with a great group of young men."
While at Baldwin-Wallace, Heil also served as the head men’s golf coach to go along with his assistant men’s basketball coaching duties. Through his five seasons, Heil led the BW golf program to an overall record of 160-172-2.
After coaching BW to a record-setting campaign in 2013-14, Heil was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. The Baldwin Wallace men’s golf team won the school’s first ever OAC Championship this past season and made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Heil played four seasons of varsity basketball at Bluffton University. During his time with the Beavers, Heil was twice named to the Academic All-HCAC team. He also captained the 2006-07 squad that finished with a school-record tying 18 wins.
During his time at Bluffton, Heil earned his Bachelor of Arts in business administration degree, graduating in 2007. Heil went on to earn his Master of Arts in Sports Science from Defiance in 2009.
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