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Jan. 25, 2001
Heacock Named Youngstown State Head Football Coach
Youngstown, Ohio --
Youngstown State University President Dr. David Sweet announced
today that Jon Heacock has been
named the head coach of the Penguins
football program. Heacock has spent
seven of the past 10 seasons as a
member of the YSU coaching staff,
including six as the defensive
coordinator.
Heacock (pronounced HAY-cock) replaces former 15-year Head Coach
Jim Tressel who was named the head
football coach at The Ohio State
University on Thursday, Jan. 18.
Dr. Sweet said when searching for candidates to become just the
fifth head football coach in school
history, he did not to have to look
far for the best candidate.
"Coach Heacock is a proven leader and is well respected throughout
the college football coaching
ranks," Dr. Sweet said. "I am
confident in his abilities, his
vision and we know he is the person
to ensure the continuation of our
outstanding football tradition."
Heacock, 40, said he is very excited to follow in the legacy of the
coaches who were at YSU before him.
"I am very humbled, very grateful and very excited about the
opportunities at Youngstown,"
Heacock said.
Heacock’s name rose above all candidates in field, Dr. Sweet said,
when he met with leaders in the
Valley to pick a new head football
coach.
"Part of the evaluation process included extensive discussions with
the board of trustees, the external
Youngstown community as well as our
athletic administrators and coaches.
Whether it was in my conversations
with the Penguin Club, YSU’s
football student-athletes or Penguin
fans one name was constant in the
person they were backing, and that
was Jon Heacock.
"The letter I received from Coach Tressel was a major impact on my
decision," Sweet said. "In part, the
letter stated, ‘Please understand as
I make this suggestion, it is only
due to my great love and concern for
my YSU Football Family. I suggest
that Jon Heacock be the man to turn
to to take over the leadership of
our YSU Penguins. He has all of the
qualities necessary to do the job
and assist the young people during
this transition."
Last season, in Heacock’s second stint with the YSU program, the
Penguins defense was a key factor in
leading the team to a 9-3 mark and
an appearance in the Division I-AA
playoffs. Youngstown State finished
15th in the nation in scoring
defense allowing just 16 points a
game. The Penguins finished the year
tied for fifth in the country in
turnover margin (plus 1.45 per game)
and ninth in interceptions (20). As
a unit, the Penguins defense forced
30 turnovers. Under his direction
was consensus All-American Tim
Johnson, who was second in the
country with 14.82 tackles per game.
Before returning to YSU, he spent three seasons (1997-99) as the
defensive coordinator and defensive
backs coach at Indiana University.
In 1998, his squad finished second
in the Big Ten and third in the
nation with 19 interceptions. The
Hoosiers picked off Tim Couch, the
top pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, four
times.
Heacock’s first stay at Youngstown State brought much success to
the program in his six seasons
(61-19-2). In his first four years
YSU appeared in the Division I-AA
championship game and earned three
national championships (1991, 1993
and 1994). He was the defensive
backs coach in 1991 as YSU finished
with a 12-3 record and beat Marshall
25-17 in the National Championship
Game.
The next season he was promoted to defensive coordinator, while
also coaching the defensive backs,
and served in that capacity through
the 1996 campaign. In 1992, YSU
advanced to the title game losing to
Marshall. His defense in 1993
yielded only 15.5 points per game
and helped the Penguins to a 17-5
victory in the championship game
against Marshall.
His 1994 unit may have been his best allowing an average of 10.1
points per game and holding nine of
15 opponents to 10 points or less.
YSU finished the year with a
school-record 14-0-1 mark capped by
a victory over Boise State in the
championship game. YSU finished 3-8
in 1995 and was 8-3 in 1996.
Prior to his first stint at YSU, Heacock served as an assistant
coach at the United States Military
Academy from 1990-91. Heacock
assisted with the defensive backs
and special teams under coach Jim
Young. The Cadets finished the 1990
season with a 6-5 record and a 30-20
victory over rival Navy.
From 1988 to 1990, Heacock was a graduate assistant at Michigan
under coach Bo Schlembechler where
he worked with the Wolverines’
defensive backs and special teams in
addition to assisting in many other
capacities. During his two years,
Michigan won two Big Ten titles and
appeared in the Rose Bowl twice. In
the 1989 Rose Bowl, UM beat Southern
California 22-14.
Prior to his graduate assistantship at Michigan, Heacock was the
defensive coordinator, secondary
coach, and defensive line coach at
West Liberty College from 1985-87.
Heacock’s coaching career began in 1983 when he was hired as a
graduate assistant to be the
defensive line coach at the
University of Toledo. After spending
one season with the Rockets, Heacock
joined the staff at Steubenville
High School, where he helped guide
The Big Red to the 1984 Ohio
Division II State Championship. He
was also the school’s head baseball
coach.
Heacock, who is a native of Beloit, Ohio, earned a bachelor’s
degree in health and physical
education from Muskingum College in
1983. At Muskingum, Heacock played
football and competed on the track
and field team. He is a 1979
graduate of West Branch High School
where he played football and
basketball.
Jon and his wife, Trescia, who is a registered nurse, have a son,
Jace (3) and a daughter, Adelyn (2).
He is the third member of his family
to become a head football coach. His
brother Jeff has been the head
football coach at Muskingum College
in New Concord, Ohio, for the past
20 years and is also the school’s
Athletic Director. His brother Jim
is the defensive line coach at The
Ohio State University. He has been
at OSU the past five years after an
eight-season tenure as the head
coach at Illinois State. |
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