Heather Kearney enters her second season as the associate head coach after helping the Panthers’ defense show vast improvement in year one of Kearney’s system.
HPU’s defense improved its scoring defense (203rd to 98th), steals per game (192nd to 50th, turnovers forced (249th to 51st) and three-point field goal percentage defense (144th to 43rd). Those marks allowed the Panthers to post a 14-4 record when they eclipsed 60 points on the offensive end.
Kearney and the Panthers showed off their new up-tempo defense on opening night racking up 23 steals against N.C. Wesleyan. From there the squad raised its double-digit steal outings against league foes from one in 2016-17 to 14 last winter. Leading the way, Emma Bockrath paced the Big South with 75 pilfers on the year.
In her first season in charge of the defense at Coastal Carolina, the Harrisville, Pa. native helped the squad improve its scoring defense by nearly four points per contest. Similarly, the Chanticleers’ defense moved from 175th in steals per game prior to her arrival to 16th in 2015-16.
After the move from the Big South to the Sun Belt, Coastal Carolina continued to wreak havoc defensively finishing 48th in the nation in turnovers forced last season.
Before joining the Chanticleer coaching staff, Kearney served under Appalachian State head coach Darcie Vincent from 2009-2014. During that time, Kearney was the mastermind behind an aggressive, fast-paced Mountaineer offense that led the Southern Conference in scoring for three straight seasons while averaging over 70 points per game, scored 80 or more points in 24 contests and eclipsed the 70-point mark on 59 occasions.
Kearney’s efforts with the Mountaineer offense also resulted in Appalachian State having at least one player rank among the SoCon’s top-five scorers for four straight years, including the league’s scoring champion in 2012-13. In each of her first four seasons at Appalachian State, at least three student-athletes coached by Kearney averaged double-figuring scoring.
Before her time at Appalachian State Kearney spent nine seasons at California (Pa.) University, serving as associate head coach and offensive coordinator from 2000-08 before taking over head coaching responsibilities for the 2008-09 season.
As the head of the program, Kearney led the Vulcans to an NCAA Elite Eight appearance after winning the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional, and a final Division II national ranking No. 4. Cal U finished the 2008-09 season with a 29-5 overall record, including a spotless 17-0 mark on their home court, en route to a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West title and PSAC Coach of the Year honors for Kearney.
As an associate head coach at Cal U, Kearney helped the Vulcans to eight straight NCAA tournament appearances while capturing the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2004. Cal U also won seven PSAC West championships during that time.
Kearney played collegiately under Darcie Vincent at Slippery Rock University from 1995-99. She led The Rock to an NCAA Division II East Regional Championship and was named a Kodak All-American. Kearney, who was named the PSAC West Rookie of the Year in 1996, closed her career as the school’s all-time leading scorer while finishing second in career rebounds. Kearney was inducted into the Slippery Rock Hall of Fame in 2010.
A Harrisville, Pa. native, Kearney graduated from Slippery Rock in 1999 after earning her undergraduate degree in sport management. Kearney then completed a master’s degree in counseling and education psychology from Slippery Rock in 2003.
