Keith Heckendorf

Keith Heckendorf (born April 23, 1981) is an American football coach who is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas State University. He was previously the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Keith Heckendorf
Current position
TitleOffensive coordinator
TeamArkansas State
ConferenceSun Belt
Biographical details
Born (1981-04-23) April 23, 1981
Mosinee, Wisconsin
Playing career
2000–2003St. Cloud State
Position(s)Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2004Mosinee HS (WI) (assistant)
2005Nebraska (OQC)
2006–2007Nebraska (GA)
2008–2010Western Carolina (OC/QB)
2011–2013North Carolina
(player development)
2014Arkansas State (TE/RC)
2014–2015North Carolina (QB/RC)
2016–2018North Carolina (QB/PGC)
2019–2020Arkansas State (AHC/OC/QB)
2021–presentArkansas State (OC/QB)

Playing career

Heckendorf played quarterback at St. Cloud State from 2000 to 2003. At St. Cloud, he set program records for career passing yards, career touchdowns, and career pass completions. He was also a three-time Harlon Hill Trophy finalist (the D-II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy), and an All-American.[1] He was also a National Football Foundation Scholar athlete in 2003, and was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2017.[2]

Coaching career

After his playing career concluded, Heckendorf was an assistant at his high school alma mater Mosinee High School in Mosinee, Wisconsin before spending time at Nebraska as a quality control coach and graduate assistant. He also had a stint at Western Carolina from 2008 to 2010 as their offensive coordinator.

Heckendorf was hired in a player development position at North Carolina in 2011. He was promoted to quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator in 2014.[3] At UNC, he was the position coach for Mitchell Trubisky, who rose from a backup quarterback to the No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft over the span of a year.[4]

Arkansas State

Heckendorf was named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas State in 2019.[5] He spent time as their tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator for about a month before he was re-hired as the quarterbacks coach at North Carolina.[6] Heckendorf was named a nominee for the Broyles Award in 2019, an award given to the top assistant coach in college football.[7] On December 10, 2020, after head coach Blake Anderson left to take the same job at Utah State, Heckendorf was named interim head coach for the Red Wolves.[8]

After initially being replaced by Major Applewhite and AJ Milwee, Heckendorf was retained as offensive coordinator by newly hired Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones.[9][10]

References
  1. "Product of upbringing". The Dickinson Press. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  2. "8 will be inducted into SCSU Athletics Hall of Fame". St. Cloud Times. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  3. "Keith Heckendorf leaves ASU to return to North Carolina". KAIT8. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  4. "Change doesn't come overnight". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  5. "A-State Football Adds Three to Assistant Coaching Staff". Arkansas State University Athletics. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  6. "Anderson gets his man 5 years later". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  7. "Arkansas State OC Keith Heckendorf nominated for Broyles Award". KAIT8. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  8. "Utah State to hire Arkansas State football coach Blake Anderson". ESPN. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  9. "A-State Football Names Heckendorf Offensive Coordinator". Arkansas State University - Official Athletics Website. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  10. "Report: Keith Heckendorf to return to Red Wolves as offensive coordinator". KAIT8. Retrieved 9 January 2021.


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