Melissa Heinz Named Soccer Coach

Veteran coach picked to lead VSU's newest team

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Valdosta State has named Melissa Heinz head women's soccer coach, as announced by VSU President Patrick J. Schloss and Athletic Director Herb Reinhard Thursday at the University Center Theater.

Heinz comes to Valdosta State after serving as the head coach at Division I Winthrop the last 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.

"I feel we have hired someone who will catch the imagination of our community and this region," said Schloss in making the announcement. "I can say with great confidence that we have accomplished our goals of hiring a coach who will meet all of our goals in terms of recruiting, excelling on the field and promoting excellence in the classroom."

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%u2019s 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.

"I am excited to welcome Melissa to Valdosta State," Reinhard added. "She will be a tremendous addition to our Athletic Department, our University and our community. In looking for a head coach we identified several qualities that the person had to possess in order to be the leader of our new soccer program. Melissa possessed each of these qualities and more."

In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Heinz has also 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 staff coaches 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, during which 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 Gulfport Chaos and the Jackson Calypso.

"I would like to thank Valdosta State, President Schloss, Mr. Reinhard and for trusting me to start the school's newest championship program," Heinz said during the press conference. "I look forward to building a team that will uphold the tradition of excellence that is Valdosta State Athletics. The people that I met and the support that was demonstrated during my interview, as well as today, have been phenomenal and is evidence as to why Valdosta State is so successful. That support is the foundation that we will build upon for our success in the future."

Heinz will have 18 months to assemble Valdosta State's first squad as the team will not take to the field until the 2011 season. Soccer will be the 12th intercollegiate sport sponsored by Valdosta State, including the sixth women's team.

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