Heffernan earns promotion

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CHAMPAIGN — Longtime Illinois assistant wrestling coach Jim Heffernan was  promoted to head coach today. The hiring was made official at a 2 p.m. news conference at Memorial Stadium.

"I would like to thank Ron Guenther for giving me the opportunity to carry on the tradition Mark Johnson and I had started 17 years ago," Heffernan said in a statement. "I feel extremely fortunate to remain at Illinois as the next head wrestling coach, as this is where I want to finish my career."

Heffernan, the NCAA 150-pound champion for Iowa in 1986, served on Mark Johnson’s staff for 17 years. During Heffernan’s time, the Illini have finished in the Top 10 of the NCAA meet 10 times.

Twice during his career (1995 and 2001), Heffernan was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

"I'm extremely happy that Jim Heffernan will be the new coach of the Fighting Illini," Johnson said. "He has paid his dues as a part of a very successful program at the University of Illinois for the past 17 years and he deserves this opportunity. I wish him the best and will be his biggest fan."

Before coming to Illinois in 1992, Heffernan served two years on Johnson’s staff at Oregon State. He also spent two years as an assistant at Lehigh.

Heffernan’s first coaching job was at a graduate assistant at Iowa in 1987.
As a Hawkeye wrestler, Heffernan was a four-time All-American. He was Iowa’s Male Athlete of the Year in 1987.

The Cleveland native was a two-time Ohio state champion.

Heffernan will welcome back a strong team next season, with six of the nine wrestlers who qualified for the NCAA meet returning. The top returnee is 133-pounder Jimmy Kennedy, who finished fifth in the NCAA meet.

Illinois signed two wrestlers in November: Sam White of Massillon (Ohio) Perry and Tony Dallago of Harrisburg (Pa.) Central Dauphin.

 

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