New Robert Morris coach Heeb fights recruiting charges
By RON DICKERSON
STAFF WRITER
Published Friday, August 17, 2007
Robert Morris College has hired David Heeb as its women’s basketball coach and Mark Moore as its volleyball coach.
Heeb, embroiled in a recruiting controversy while a high school coach in Missouri, succeeds Kevin Giese, who has coached the last six seasons at six different schools. Moore succeeds Bloomington native Sandi Kelley, the first coach of the program that started last fall. She is now coach at Eureka College.
Heeb, 29, of Morley, Mo., about 30 miles south of Cape Girardeau, was athletic director and coached boys basketball for five years at Bell City High School and one year at Scott County Central. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State with a degree in physical education in 2000.
He compiled a 137-50 record at the two high schools. Each has an enrollment of about 100. Heeb won the Missouri small school tournament in 2002 and ’04 and advanced to the semifinals in ’05 while at Bell City.
“I always wanted to get into college ball,” Heeb said. “I discovered the job online, made contact, interviewed and they hired me. I thought the job was a good opportunity.
“It’s hard to go from high school to college without taking a pay cut. But I’m fortunate to get my foot in the college door with a reasonable chance to be successful, and I’m fortunate to have a job. I have a teaching position with the Sangamon County Learning Academy (at the Capital Area Vocational Center).”
It seems it would be hard to go to another job lugging the baggage Heeb has been carrying the last couple of years. After five years resurrecting the Bell City program, Heeb moved to rival Scott County Central for the 2005-06 season, attempting to work similar magic at his alma mater.
Using four sophomores and a freshman, Heeb said he guided Scott County Central to a 16-13 record in his only year as head coach. That year at Scott County Central was shrouded in a cloud of recruiting allegations that were leveled against Heeb by his successor at Bell City — and formally filed by the Bell City School District — before the season started.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association ruled there was enough evidence to conclude Heeb attempted to influence players from Bell City to attend South County Central. In April 2006, the school was placed on probation for three years and Heeb was suspended from coaching for the second semester of the 2006-07 season.
The decision was appealed, and the MSHSAA lifted the last two years of the school’s probation but didn’t reduce Heeb’s suspension. His contract wasn’t renewed for the 2007-08 season.
Heeb, hurting from accusations made against him, sued the association and the Bell City School District to “clear my name,” he said.
“I was worried this would follow me the rest of my life, and that is absolutely why I’m taking it to court. Things were said and written that aren’t true. I can’t go into details because of the lawsuit, but I’m convinced malicious intent was involved.”
Heeb’s background wasn’t a concern for Chris Ryan, who runs the Robert Morris-Springfield athletic department.
“No, not at all,” said Ryan when asked if the recruiting allegations affected his decision to hire Heeb. “We checked his references and background and everything was positive on him.”
Was he aware of the allegations during the interview process? “No comment on that,” Ryan said.
“I’ve seen the top of the mountain and I’ve been in the valley,” Heeb said. “Now I have a new challenge. I’m embracing this opportunity.”
Ryan said Wanda Nettles, the former Lincoln Land Community College and University of Illinois at Springfield women’s basketball coach, discussed the job with him.
“Wanda and I talked, but we already had David hired,” said Ryan.
Moore, 40, from Jerseyville, has been involved in volleyball since he came to Springfield in 1990 and began playing the sport recreationally at the Armory. He fell in love with the game, and said he got involved in coaching to be a better player. He continues to play competitively in a men’s league in St. Louis.
“Mark was one of the first to apply,” Ryan. said “He’s a local person who knows local talent. The fact he still competes at a high level, and he’s been involved in college coaching at MacMurray and SCI (Springfield College in Illinois) were attractive considerations.”
Moore was the Riverton volleyball coach last season. He was an assistant at SCI in 2005 and at Lutheran in 2004, both under Drew Aschenbrenner, and Moore was the head coach at MacMurray in 2002. He also was the coach at Waverly from 1999-2001, and again an assistant to Aschenbrenner at Lutheran in 1998.
“I was interested in the Robert Morris position for several reasons,” said Moore, an Illinois graduate who works in accounting at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. “It’s local. They have scholarships. And it’s a groundbreaking opportunity. I can help put a mark on this program. It’s exciting to build the volleyball program.”
Robert Morris was 2-17 in its inaugural season under Kelley.
“That wasn’t indicative of the quality of our play,” Ryan said. “We lost many games 30-28 or 31-29. With Mark, we have the right person to start establishing our program and begin a winning tradition.”
STORY LINK
By RON DICKERSON
STAFF WRITER
Published Friday, August 17, 2007
Robert Morris College has hired David Heeb as its women’s basketball coach and Mark Moore as its volleyball coach.
Heeb, embroiled in a recruiting controversy while a high school coach in Missouri, succeeds Kevin Giese, who has coached the last six seasons at six different schools. Moore succeeds Bloomington native Sandi Kelley, the first coach of the program that started last fall. She is now coach at Eureka College.
Heeb, 29, of Morley, Mo., about 30 miles south of Cape Girardeau, was athletic director and coached boys basketball for five years at Bell City High School and one year at Scott County Central. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State with a degree in physical education in 2000.
He compiled a 137-50 record at the two high schools. Each has an enrollment of about 100. Heeb won the Missouri small school tournament in 2002 and ’04 and advanced to the semifinals in ’05 while at Bell City.
“I always wanted to get into college ball,” Heeb said. “I discovered the job online, made contact, interviewed and they hired me. I thought the job was a good opportunity.
“It’s hard to go from high school to college without taking a pay cut. But I’m fortunate to get my foot in the college door with a reasonable chance to be successful, and I’m fortunate to have a job. I have a teaching position with the Sangamon County Learning Academy (at the Capital Area Vocational Center).”
It seems it would be hard to go to another job lugging the baggage Heeb has been carrying the last couple of years. After five years resurrecting the Bell City program, Heeb moved to rival Scott County Central for the 2005-06 season, attempting to work similar magic at his alma mater.
Using four sophomores and a freshman, Heeb said he guided Scott County Central to a 16-13 record in his only year as head coach. That year at Scott County Central was shrouded in a cloud of recruiting allegations that were leveled against Heeb by his successor at Bell City — and formally filed by the Bell City School District — before the season started.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association ruled there was enough evidence to conclude Heeb attempted to influence players from Bell City to attend South County Central. In April 2006, the school was placed on probation for three years and Heeb was suspended from coaching for the second semester of the 2006-07 season.
The decision was appealed, and the MSHSAA lifted the last two years of the school’s probation but didn’t reduce Heeb’s suspension. His contract wasn’t renewed for the 2007-08 season.
Heeb, hurting from accusations made against him, sued the association and the Bell City School District to “clear my name,” he said.
“I was worried this would follow me the rest of my life, and that is absolutely why I’m taking it to court. Things were said and written that aren’t true. I can’t go into details because of the lawsuit, but I’m convinced malicious intent was involved.”
Heeb’s background wasn’t a concern for Chris Ryan, who runs the Robert Morris-Springfield athletic department.
“No, not at all,” said Ryan when asked if the recruiting allegations affected his decision to hire Heeb. “We checked his references and background and everything was positive on him.”
Was he aware of the allegations during the interview process? “No comment on that,” Ryan said.
“I’ve seen the top of the mountain and I’ve been in the valley,” Heeb said. “Now I have a new challenge. I’m embracing this opportunity.”
Ryan said Wanda Nettles, the former Lincoln Land Community College and University of Illinois at Springfield women’s basketball coach, discussed the job with him.
“Wanda and I talked, but we already had David hired,” said Ryan.
Moore, 40, from Jerseyville, has been involved in volleyball since he came to Springfield in 1990 and began playing the sport recreationally at the Armory. He fell in love with the game, and said he got involved in coaching to be a better player. He continues to play competitively in a men’s league in St. Louis.
“Mark was one of the first to apply,” Ryan. said “He’s a local person who knows local talent. The fact he still competes at a high level, and he’s been involved in college coaching at MacMurray and SCI (Springfield College in Illinois) were attractive considerations.”
Moore was the Riverton volleyball coach last season. He was an assistant at SCI in 2005 and at Lutheran in 2004, both under Drew Aschenbrenner, and Moore was the head coach at MacMurray in 2002. He also was the coach at Waverly from 1999-2001, and again an assistant to Aschenbrenner at Lutheran in 1998.
“I was interested in the Robert Morris position for several reasons,” said Moore, an Illinois graduate who works in accounting at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. “It’s local. They have scholarships. And it’s a groundbreaking opportunity. I can help put a mark on this program. It’s exciting to build the volleyball program.”
Robert Morris was 2-17 in its inaugural season under Kelley.
“That wasn’t indicative of the quality of our play,” Ryan said. “We lost many games 30-28 or 31-29. With Mark, we have the right person to start establishing our program and begin a winning tradition.”
STORY LINK
