NAU Coach Leaving in 2017

can we see a link to this?

"Eric will come a year later after his 2017 season." We have been apart before but the end result will be a family that travels less and spends more time together. Farewell Flagstaff and Hello Houston!

I cant find a way to link social media posts here but rest assured it is true...

lululinsder wrote:

Don't know if anyone has posted this yet but it was announced through social media that Coach Heins is leaving after the 2017 XC season because his wife got a job in Houston. Any idea on who may be a frontrunner to take over???!

Jobs already being offered behind closed doors...nothing approaching final/official...but this job will be a done deal before it's ever "opened." That's how these things work.

The sad part is that they're moving to Houston. I cannot think of many worse places to live: concrete jungle, traffic like you've never experienced, extreme hot summers, ANGRY people, and out of control crime.

Won't this kill recruiting for NAU? The only way I can see them still being able to recruit effectively is if they name his successor sooner rather than later. Either that or they are hoping that the NAU program can stand alone without Heins. Seems risky.

His wife must make good money. Or he doesn't.

Is this legit? End of 2017 season is 20 months away. Wife references him leaving a year after her. So she's announcing her move 8 months in advance?

OptionalUnlessRegistered wrote:

Won't this kill recruiting for NAU? The only way I can see them still being able to recruit effectively is if they name his successor sooner rather than later. Either that or they are hoping that the NAU program can stand alone without Heins. Seems risky.

How will it kill recruiting? People go to NAU for the altitude.

Wejo, are you interested? He basically put flagstaff back on the map.

rojo wrote:

OptionalUnlessRegistered wrote:

Won't this kill recruiting for NAU? The only way I can see them still being able to recruit effectively is if they name his successor sooner rather than later. Either that or they are hoping that the NAU program can stand alone without Heins. Seems risky.

How will it kill recruiting? People go to NAU for the altitude.

Wejo, are you interested? He basically put flagstaff back on the map.

It is not just the altitude, it is the town, it is the San Francisco peaks, it is FUTS, it is Coconino Natl. Forest, Buffalo Park, spring-time winds, it is a cool mid-size campus, the brew pub buzz, Biff's Bagels (over-rated). But especially it is Beaver Street....South Beaver.

NAU has never been off the grid, going back to the early seventies - Richard Selby, Richard Sliney, Gordon Minty.

Who will take over?

This is a very bizarre thread. There is something else behind all of this... and the real question is, what is it?

Maybe UofH will wise up, fire that idiot Magness, and hire Coach Heins...

Memorial Hermann wrote:

The sad part is that they're moving to Houston. I cannot think of many worse places to live: concrete jungle, traffic like you've never experienced, extreme hot summers, ANGRY people, and out of control crime.

Lol, you have obviously never visited or lived in Houston before. It's a fantastic place to live and train. A few professional groups come down here to train in the winter. Nike Oregon Project trained here leading up to Beijing and may be doing the same for Rio. Tons of greenways and parks throughout the city, downtown Houston is fantastic for social activities. Plus being centrally located in the United States with an international airport gives it quick and easy access to travel.

I don't recall Gordon Minty living there as he went to Eastern Michigan. Post college maybe? There was a Canadian named Dave Tocheri on the NAU team with Selby and Sliney. Tocheri was pretty good.

I wonder if he is giving himself time to find a college to coach at near Houston or setting up some kind of post collegiate group or both.

According to the public records he only pulls in 60k as the interim head track coach. Looks like they never moved him up to the official head coach. You can view all public employees in Arizona here: http://archive.azcentral.com/salary/employees.php/?oid=NAU

I wish Coach Heins the best. He's a great guy and coach. I suspect SUU will fill the void if one emerges.

who cares who will take over!?some schools are good, then they aren't good, then they get good again. Rememebr when Arkansas was the bees knees?not like the USA college system is pumping out runners who can beat East Africans in international meets. good runners go where they will. good XC teams, like Colorado and Syracuse, might have one guy who makes it big, but the superstars will emerge from any institution.

lululinsder wrote:

Don't know if anyone has posted this yet but it was announced through social media that Coach Heins is leaving after the 2017 XC season because his wife got a job in Houston. Any idea on who may be a frontrunner to take over???!