After only two years of women's soccer at Valdosta State, Mel Heinz has quickly established the Blazers as a prominent force in the ranks of the Gulf South Conference.
In the program's first year of existence in 2011, Heinz led the team to a strong showing in the GSC tournament and an appearance in the Gulf South Conference championship game against North Alabama. After such a successful start, it was no surprise to see Heinz named the GSC Coach of the Year.
The 2012 season proved to another successful campaign, as the team finished the year 13-5 overall, and 6-2 in GSC play. The strong season for the Blazers earned them their second straight showing in the GSC tournament, as well as an appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
Under Heinz, VSU finished the 2012 regular season in second place and placed both Abbi edwards and Arielle Sabina on the GSC First Team. Olivia Mills, Leanne Bishop, and Blakely McClellan were all named to the GSC Second Team, and McClellan, Heather Mulkey, and Sydnie Smith received All-Academic honors.
As in 2011, defense was a highlight for the Blazers again in 2012. The squad held their opponents scoreless in nine of their twenty contests. In addition, the balanced offense of Valdosta State produced nine different players with multiple goals throughout the course of the season.
Heinz joined the Valdosta State program in 2011 after serving as the head coach at Division I Winthrop for seven seasons. As with VSU, Heinz started the Eagle program from scratch and was named the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year for first year programs by the National Soccer Coaches Association after leading her 2003 team to a 7-12-1 record, including a 3-3-1 mark in Big South Conference play, in 2003.
The team went on to win the 2006 Big South regular season championship, earning Heinz the Big South Conference Coach of the Year award, and advanced to the championship game of the 2009 Big South Conference Tournament. Ten Winthrop players earned All-Big South Conference honors during her time with the Eagles.
The Winthrop soccer program achieved success off the field as well during Heinz's seven years with the school as twice the Lady Eagles led the school in grade point average. The 2006 team that won the Big South regular season, paced the Winthrop Athletic program with a 3.49 GPA during the year while the 2009 team finished the fall semester with an Athletic Department high 3.50 GPA. Seven Lady Eagles earned Big South Academic All-Conference honors under Heinz.
Heinz joined the Winthrop program after serving as an assistant coach at Birmingham Southern for a year. She also spent the 2000 season as the head coach at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala., where she led the Hawks to the 2000 National Small College Athletic Association championship. Heinz also spent three years as the head coach at William Carey College, where she compiled a 40-20-3 record between 1997 and 1999. Her 1999 team won both regional and sectional championships while advancing to the year's NAIA National Tournament. That team finished the year ranked sixth nationally while her 1998 squad finished the season ranked 23rd. Heinz was named the NAIA Region XII Coach of the Year in 1999.
Entering the 2013 season, Heinz stands at 127-111-25 in her collegiate coaching career.
As Heinz sets a high standard of excellence for her student-athletes, she also does so for herself. In the summer of 2011, Heinz achieved the highest level a collegiate coach could when she earned her Coaching A License from the United States Soccer Federation.
In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Heinz also coached for the Charlotte United Soccer Club as well as with Youth Soccer Olympic Development programs in South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi. She has also served as a staff coach at Alabama, UAB, South Carolina, Clemson and Texas A&M over the course of the last 13 years.
Heinz played her collegiate career at William Carey from 1991 through 1994. The team compiled a 61-20 record during her four years with the school, in which time she was a three-year All-Region honoree while earning honorable mention All-America in 1994. She gained further playing experience on the women's soccer amateur circuit, where she played for the Gulfport Chaos and the Jackson Calypso.
