FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 18, 2022) – In the 13 seasons that Eric Heins spent as Director of Track and Field and Cross Country at Northern Arizona University he was able to accomplish something never seen in school history; he led his team to an NCAA Division I National Championship.
Since taking over in 2009, Heins' men's team had come close to the title many times, with a second-place finish in 2013 and many other top-ten finishes during his tenure. However, in 2016 the team gave Heins' NAU career a storybook ending as they outpaced the competition to earn the national title. Despite that moment being almost six years ago, the memory of the moment that he heard the results announced is still fresh in Heins' mind.
"It was kind of surreal, honestly," said Heins. "It wasn't immediate. We finished and I actually thought that we had lost the race because it looked like our fifth runner had fallen back too far. It seemed like the results took an hour to become official and we kept hearing different things. I was getting messages from people watching online asking what was going on and no one really knew.
"Once we heard it announced I still remember running from the finish line with one of our alumni who was there watching, Caleb Hoover. We looked at each other like 'did we just hear that right?' and we took off in a dead sprint down to the team tents. Everyone in there had already heard and they were all celebrating. It was just an incredible moment."
Heins went on to be awarded the USTFCCCA Bill Dellinger Award's, given to the NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year, that same year. He was also named the Big Sky Women's and Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year for the fourth and ninth time respectively. In addition to his National Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year Award, he ended his career as a 27-time Big Sky Coach of the Year. His teams earned 28 Big Sky Conference Championships and boasted 64 Big Sky individual conference champions as well as 25 athletes with 55 All-American honors.
The success of the 2016 team was something never before seen at NAU but began a legacy of greatness for the cross country program. Heins' win was the first of five national championships in six years, with the program winning consecutive championships in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Despite the feeling of leaving being bittersweet, Heins says that going out on such a high note made it easier to walk away.
"Mike (Smith) had come in and we worked together that whole 2016 season, so I knew him pretty well," commented Heins. "I knew that things were gradually going to change, and I would be fading out. That first year that they won the back-to-back title Mike FaceTimed me and turned the phone around so I could see everyone celebrating. It just felt good to know that they were still successful, and I knew that they were in good hands. Now obviously Mike has taken it to a whole new level."
Based on the success of the cross country program it would be easy to say that Heins will only be remembered for his achievements on the dirt. He also saw great success with the track & field program, coaching David McNeill to two individual NCAA titles and four distance runners who went on to the Olympic Games.
"Everyone did look at NAU as a distance only program," acknowledged Heins. "But we were able to have success in all the event groups. I remember taking 10 athletes to the outdoor National Championships, across all spectrums of events. We had jumpers, sprinters, a relay team, and distance runners. That was probably my proudest moment as a track & field coach."
Not only did Heins coach four future Olympians at NAU, but he was also able to attend the 2012 London Olympics as part of the coaching delegation with team Mexico. David McNeill, Lopez Lomong, and Diego Estrada all competed at the 2012 Olympics. McNeill, competing with team Australia, and Lomong, part of team USA, both competed in the 5000-meter, while Estrada competed in the 10,000-meter for Mexico.
"Diego was still on the team at the time which was such an honor because I was still coaching him. He was competing for Mexico, and he asked if I could come as his personal coach. It was just phenomenal to go to London and see all three of those athletes all competing at the same Olympics. I'll never forget that experience and that energy."
Diego Estrada was Heins' first recruit after being named Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, and he has a special place in Heins' memory of his time at NAU. Despite not being a highly touted recruit coming out of high school, Estrada went on to become one of the best distance runners in school history. Owning three NAU and Big Sky records when he left, as well as being a national champion in the 5000-meter and an 11-time All-American, Estrada greatly exceeded everyone's expectations. Now, Estrada is being inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside the coach that brought him to NAU originally.
"As a coach, I don't like a lot of this attention," commented Heins. "To have someone like Diego who I think can handle the attention a little better, I'm excited to see how he responds to all the recognition. He was my first recruit in my first year. To see what he did as a collegiate runner and making the Olympic team, it's been really special to see where he came from as a high school to now being inducted into the Hall of Fame."
Although he didn't expect to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Heins says that he in honor to have been included with such a distinguished group.
"It's just a great honor," said Heins. "Looking back at my time at NAU, thinking of athletes and teams that have been inducted or haven't been inducted yet, it means a lot. I'm not a person that likes a lot of recognition, but it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I appreciate everyone that has supported me. I know the emotions will come once I get back to Flagstaff and remember everything that happened during my time there."
After stepping away from coaching in December of 2016, Heins and his family moved to Houston where he worked a senior admissions officer for NAU. He returned to coaching in 2019, joining the University of St. Thomas-Houston as their head coach. He later took an assistant coaching position with the University of Louisville in 2021, where he remains today.
