JERSEY CITY, NJ --- Ken Heaton, NJCU's Assistant Director of Athletics and NCAA Compliance Officer, has announced he will retire from his position at New Jersey City University on June 1, after 30 years of service to the institution. Heaton, 59, is the school's all-time winningest baseball coach.
"There are many facets to deciding to move on from a position I've held here for 30 years," said Heaton. "It's time to go. One of the impetus of moving on was taking care of my elderly family. I also knew it was time to step aside so that our current leadership can run with young, energetic, exciting people. I only wish them and the university well. What I'll miss the most here is the daily interaction and helping the student-athletes and my co-workers. In addition, I have made many lifelong friends with other administrators in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, and I will miss the conferences and our friendships."
"I would like to thank Ken Heaton for his three decades of service to NJCU athletics," said Shawn Tucker, Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics. "While we are sad to see him leave, I respect his decision to know when the time was right for him and his family. Thirty years is a long time to spend at one institution and we are all losing a bit of our history with Ken's departure. Over the last year since I came to the University, Ken has been instrumental in my on-boarding process and I have leaned on his many years of experience and expertise for guidance and advise. All of us here in the NJCU athletics department are grateful to Ken's service and we wish him happiness and good health as he begins the next chapter in his life."
Heaton has served in an athletic administration role since September 2004 and the 2018-19 year was his 15
th as assistant director of athletics. He served as the compliance officer for the school's NCAA Division III program since stepping down as the Gothic Knights' head baseball coach in August 2007, and also as the transportation and scheduling coordinator for the 16-team athletics program. Heaton served as the Interim Director of Athletics in Spring, 2018. He was the first full-time head baseball coach in NJCU history.
Prior to moving into an athletic administrator's role, Heaton guided the baseball program for 18 seasons and finished his coaching career as the school's all-time wins leader on the diamond with 255 victories. He became the school's career leader in wins on April 14, 1998, when he directed the Knights to a 13-1 victory over USMMA. He won his 200
th career game on March 27, 2004 with a 19-10 victory at Polytechnic University. His 250
th win came on April 3, 2007, as NJCU defeated John Jay, 9-6, in Brooklyn, NY.
Heaton was a two-time Coach of the Year selection in his 18 seasons in the dugout. In 1995, Heaton was chosen as the New Jersey Athletic Conference and the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball Association Coach of the Year after guiding then-Jersey City State to what was at that time a school-record tying 19 wins. Competing in perhaps the top conference in all of Division III, NJCU reeled off 11 wins in its final 13 games en route to their second-ever NJAC Tournament berth, and the first since 1978.
He was named the City University of New York Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2005 after guiding the Gothic Knights to the CUNYAC regular season championship in its only season in the league. NJCU again tied at that time the school record for wins with 19 (19-14) and reached the ECAC Division III Metro Tournament for the first time in his tenure.
After guiding the Knights to an 18-20 record in 2002 and 19 wins in 2005, NJCU had five of the seven winningest seasons in school history under Heaton's leadership before some of those records were broken by current head coach Jerry Smith.
"There wasn't one specific favorite moment," said Heaton about his years in the dugout. "My being hired as the first full-time coach, coming from the high school coaching ranks, was pretty special in itself. The camaraderie throughout those years, both with my coaching staff and the student-athletes was something I will forever cherish."
During his coaching tenure, Heaton served on the NCAA Regional Selection Committee and the ECAC Metro NY-NJ Selection Committee. Heaton served as NJAC Treasurer during the 2014-15 campaign and formerly chaired the league's Budget/Finance committee. On March 5, 2007, he received the Outstanding Assistant Athletic Director Award from the All-American Football Foundation.
A 1983 graduate of the University of Delaware, Heaton came to NJCU during the 1989-90 season from the prestigious Delbarton School in Morristown, NJ.
A native of Dover, New Jersey, Heaton is a 1978 graduate of Delbarton where he was a three-year letter-winner in baseball, basketball and football. A standout baseball player, Heaton was a First-Team All-Prep Conference selection in 1976 and 1977. He was also selected First Team All-Morris County and First Team All-State by the Newark Star-Ledger in 1977. Heaton was a team captain in football, basketball and baseball as a senior. Heaton resides with his wife Cindy on Lake Hopatcong, N.J.
Heaton summed up the past 30 years, noting how proud he has been to make a career in the field of collegiate athletics: "Having a career in athletics—not only from the coaching standpoint but also being involved administratively and with NCAA compliance—was always my dream. Being able to accomplish the majority of my working years here at NJCU and loving every minute of it, made it all that much more special. What better way to make a living?"