Keith Heckendorf (2017) - Hall of Fame - St. Cloud State University Athletics

Keith Heckendorf

Induction:
2017
Class:
2004

Heckendorf was a top three Harlon Hill Award finalist in football at St. Cloud State University in 2003 and 2002 and was the runner-up for the award in 2003. An All-American for the Huskies in 2002 and 2003, Heckendorf was a three-time All-North Central Conference award winner for the Huskies and was selected as the league's Offensive MVP in 2002. Heckendorf passed for over 2,000 yards during the 2001, 2002 and 2003 seasons at SCSU and ranks second in the team records with 9,695 career passing yards and first with 761 career pass completions and 101 career TD passes.

He set a team record in 2003 with 232 pass completions and in 2002 with 37 passing TDs. He tied a team record by connecting on five touchdown passes four times during his collegiate career and he also owns the team record for longest pass completion at 88 yards against New Haven on Nov. 9, 2002. Heckendorf led SCSU to the NCC championship in 2002 and also guided the Huskies to wins over perennial power North Dakota State in 2002 and 2003. A top academic performer, Heckendorf gained CoSIDA Academic All-America notice during his time at SCSU and was also named a National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Award winner in 2003 along with being named the Woody Hayes National Scholar Athlete award recipient in 2003.

Since graduation, Heckendorf has enjoyed success in the college coaching ranks. He completed his master's degree at the University of Nebraska and served as a graduate assistant for the Cornhuskers in 2006-07. He went on to coach at Western Carolina from 2008-10 and at North Carolina from 2011-13. In 2014, Heckendorf served as an assistant coach at Arkansas State before returning to North Carolina in 2014 as the Tar Heels quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator.