Chuck Heater (born October 10, 1952) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
coach and former player. He was a
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
for the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
from 1972 to 1974 and finished his playing career as the fifth all-time leading rusher in
Michigan Wolverines football history. Heater has been an assistant football coach at ten universities since 1976. He has been affiliated with
College Football Hall of Fame coaches
Bo Schembechler (as a player),
Earle Bruce
Earle Bruce (March 8, 1931 – April 20, 2018) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Tampa (1972), Iowa State University (1973–1978), Ohio State University (1979–1987), the University of N ...
(as an assistant at
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
and
Colorado State), and
Lou Holtz (as an assistant at
Notre Dame). He has been on coaching staffs of
national championship
A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...
teams at Notre Dame (
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
) and
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
(
2006 and
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
).
Early years
A native of West Virginia,
[ Heater attended Columbian High School in ]Tiffin, Ohio
Tiffin is a city in and the county seat of Seneca County, Ohio, United States. Developed along the Sandusky River, which flows to Lake Erie, Tiffin is about 55 miles southeast of Toledo. The population was 17,963 at the 2010 census.[University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...]
.
University of Michigan
Heater played at the running back position for Bo Schembechler's Michigan Wolverines football team from 1972 to 1974. He accumulated 1,995 rushing yards, 17 rushing touchdowns and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.[ In October 1972, Heater established himself as a star in his third game for Michigan, passing for two touchdowns and rushing for 94 yards and a third touchdown in a 35-7 victory over Navy.] In its game coverage, the UPI
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th c ...
credited Heater, who came into the game as a substitute, for firing the Wolverines' 28-point third quarter:"THE Wolverines blew scoring opportunities and were sluggish on offense until substitute Chuck Heater, a six-foot, 205-pound tailback from Tiffin, Ohio, entered the game as Harry Banks' replacement in the second quarter. The darting sophomore gained 89 yards, 59 of them in the third quarter when he scored on a 13-yard run off left tackle to give Michigan a 28-0 lead."
Heater had four 100-yard rushing games for the Wolverines, gaining 155 yards against Illinois in 1972, 133 yards against Iowa in 1973, 128 yards against Indiana in 1973, and 101 yards against Wisconsin in 1974.[ His longest run from scrimmage was for a 71-yard gain against Indiana in 1973.][
As a sophomore in 1972, Heater reportedly found himself in Schembechler's doghouse after missing a day of practice after his wedding. The '']Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'' reported: "You know why Chuck Heater, the Michigan back, got in Coach Bo Schembechler's doghouse? Chuck skipped a day of practice for a honeymoon. Not sufficient excuse, ruled Bo."
At the time he completed his college career in 1974, Heater ranked fourth all-time among Michigan's career rushing leaders since official records were maintained starting in 1949. The only players ahead of him were Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the a ...
(3,072 yards), Ron Johnson
Ronald Harold Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is an American accountant, businessman, and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Wisconsin, a seat he has held since 2011. A Republican, Johnson was first elected to the U.S. S ...
(2,417 yards) and Ed Shuttlesworth
Ed Shuttlesworth (born June 4, 1952) is a former American football fullback.
He played for the University of Michigan from 1971 to 1973. He was the leading rusher for Michigan's 1972 and 1973 teams that compiled a combined record of 20&ndas ...
(2,333 yards).[ Heater also received the Fielding Yost Award in 1975 as the most outstanding academic and athletic performance by a senior.][ The Wolverines compiled a record of 41–3–1 during Heater's four years with the team and won or tied for the ]Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
championship every season.[
After completing his senior year at Michigan, Heater was selected to play as a running back for the Blue team in the 1974 ]Blue–Gray Football Classic
The Blue–Gray Football Classic was an annual American college football all-star game held in Alabama, usually in late December and often on Christmas Day. The brainchild of Alabama college football legend Champ Pickens, the contest began in ...
.
Professional football
Heater was drafted by the New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in the 10th round (241st overall pick) of the 1975 NFL Draft
The 1975 National Football League draft was held January 28–29, 1975, at the New York Hilton at Rockefeller Center in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Steve Bartkows ...
. He signed with the Saints in June 1975, but he was released in early September 1975, shortly before the opening game of the regular season. Heater played for the Pontiac Arrows of the Midwest Football League in 1976.
Coaching career
Northern Arizona
When Heater was released by the Saints, he returned to Michigan for graduate work in educational psychology.[ In 1976, he learned from a friend about an opening on the coaching staff at Northern Arizona University.] He was hired as the offensive backfield coach working under head coach Joe Salem. Heater took over a backfield that had fumbled 46 times in 1975. Under Heater's tutelage, the Northern Arizona backfield fumbled only 14 times in 1976. Northern Arizona running back Carl Golden also led the Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference (BSC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the eig ...
in rushing in 1976.[
Heater later recalled that he had no intention of coaching football when he graduated from Michigan. He said, "I found out it's what I know most about anyway — football. I found out it's really what I wanted to do. Coaching is suited to my abilities."][
]
Toledo
In December 1976, after completing one season at Northern Arizona, Heater was hired by the University of Toledo
The University of Toledo (UToledo or UT) is a public research university in Toledo, Ohio. It is the northernmost campus of the University System of Ohio. The university also operates a Health Science campus, which includes the University of ...
near his hometown of Tiffin, Ohio. At Toledo, he joined the staff of head coach Chuck Stobart
Charles R. Stobart (October 27, 1932 – November 29, 2022) was an American college football player and coach. He played as a quarterback at Ohio University in the 1950s. He was a football coach at various schools for 42 years from 1959 to 20 ...
who had coached Heater at Michigan. Heater spent five years on the Toledo coaching staff, working as the running backs coach from 1977–1978 and as the secondary coach from 1979–1981.[
]
Wisconsin
In 1982, Heater was hired by Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
as the defensive backfield coach under head coach Dave McClain. Shortly after being hired at Wisconsin, Heater told a Wisconsin newspaper, "I don't think I'll be a legendary
coach, but I want to do my job and do it well. If I do those things, I'll get where I want to go. I'm not going to worry about tomorrow. I'll just do well today and things will take care of themselves."[ Heater remained at Wisconsin for three years.][
]
Ohio State
In March 1985, Heater was hired by Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
as the secondary coach under head coach Earle Bruce
Earle Bruce (March 8, 1931 – April 20, 2018) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Tampa (1972), Iowa State University (1973–1978), Ohio State University (1979–1987), the University of N ...
. He spent three years on Bruce's staff at Ohio State and left when Bruce was fired at the end of the 1987 season.
Notre Dame
In February 1988, Heater was hired as the defensive secondary coach at Notre Dame under head coach Lou Holtz. He was on the Notre Dame coaching staff in 1988 when Notre Dame won its last national championship
A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...
. He remained on Holtz's staff at Notre Dame for three years through the 1990 season.
Colorado State
In February 1991, Heater was hired as the defensive coordinator at Colorado State University. He joined the staff of Earle Bruce under whom he had coached at Ohio State four years earlier. At the time of the hiring, Bruce said, "Chuck is an outstanding coach who will fit well in our program." Heater remained with Colorado State for two years but left after the 1992 season when Earl Bruce was fired as the team's head coach.
Colorado
In 1993, Heater was hired as the recruiting coordinator for the Colorado Buffaloes football team. Colorado head coach Bill McCartney
William Paul McCartney (born August 22, 1940) is a former American football player and coach and the founder of the Promise Keepers men's ministry. He was the head coach at the University of Colorado Boulder for thirteen seasons (1982–1994), ...
had been an assistant coach at Michigan during Heater's senior year. In February 1994, after the NCAA eliminated the position of recruiting coordinator, McCartney hired Heater as his defensive secondary coach. In March 1995, Colorado's new head coach Rick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald Neuheisel Jr. (; born February 7, 1961) is an American football analyst, coach, former player, and attorney. He served as the head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1995 to 1999, at the University of Washi ...
moved Heater to a new position as the team's tight ends coach. He remained the tight ends coach at Colorado for four years from 1995 to 1998 and also resumed his duties as recruiting coordinator in 1998.[
]
Washington
In January 1999, Heater followed Rick Neuheisel to the University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...
, accepting a positions as cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator. Heater spent five years on the Washington coaching staff, though he moved to offense in 2002 as the running backs coach.[
]
Utah
In February 2004, Heater joined new head coach Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is a college football TV commentator and former American football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons fro ...
as the defensive secondary coach at the University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
. Heater had worked with fellow Ohio native Meyer on Earl Bruce's staff at both Ohio State and Colorado State.
Florida
In February 2005, Heater followed Urban Meyer to the University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
as cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator. In September 2006, Meyer said of Heater: "He's one of the best teachers. I used to just sit in his meetings and watch him coach." In the 2008 Capital One Bowl
The 2008 Capital One Bowl was held on January 1, 2008 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The game featured the University of Michigan Wolverines—who finished the 2007 season tied for second in the Big Ten Conference with an ...
, Heater coached against the Michigan Wolverines for the 14th time in his career. At the time, Heater told the press, "It's nothing new for me, but it's always a game I look forward to because I have a lot of respect for their program and who they are."[ After three years as the cornerbacks coach, Heater became the Gators assistant defensive coordinator under Charlie Strong and safeties coach in 2008. In January 2010, Heater was promoted to co-defensive coordinator.
]
Temple
In 2011, Heater was hired as the defensive coordinator and defensive back's coach at Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then calle ...
under new head coach Steve Addazio.
Heater has coached teams in 23 bowl games, including the 2007 and 2009 BCS National Championship Games.
Marshall
In January 2013, Heater returned home to West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...
as the new defensive coordinator under head coach and long time friend Doc Holliday.
Maryland
In January 2018, Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divis ...
head coach D.J. Durkin hired Heater to be the safeties coach for the 2018 season.
Return to Florida
In March 2019, Heater returned to Florida to serve in an off-field role under head coach Dan Mullen
Dan Mullen (born April 27, 1972) is a former college football player and coach, and current television analyst with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and ESPN.
He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 2 ...
.
Return to Colorado State
In January 2020, Heater was re-hired as the defensive coordinator at Colorado State, reuniting him with head coach Steve Addazio.
Heater was replaced by Freddie Banks prior to the 2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
season as Addazio was replaced as head coach.
Personal life
Heater and his wife, the former Deborah Dariano, have a daughter, Emily, and two sons, Andy and Adam. While Heater was coaching at Washington, his son Andy played at the tight end position for the Huskies. Adam played tight end and center for the UCLA Bruins.
References
External links
Marshall profile
Florida profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heater, Chuck
1952 births
Living people
American football running backs
Colorado Buffaloes football coaches
Colorado State Rams football coaches
Florida Gators football coaches
Marshall Thundering Herd football coaches
Michigan Wolverines football players
Midwest Football League (1962–1978) players
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football coaches
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coaches
Ohio State Buckeyes football coaches
Temple Owls football coaches
Toledo Rockets football coaches
Utah Utes football coaches
Washington Huskies football coaches
Wisconsin Badgers football coaches
People from Tiffin, Ohio
People from Weston, West Virginia
Coaches of American football from Ohio
Players of American football from Ohio