Sports

Coach Spotlight: Mike Heffernan

By Hailey Hokanson (hhokanson@css.edu)

December 13, 2024

     It’s impossible to think about Mike Heffernan without thinking about football. For nearly thirty years, Heffernan, affectionately known as Coach Heff by the CSS football team, has been tied to the game.

     His journey in football began as a sixth grader living outside of Chicago, Illinois. “I grew up in a football family,” Heffernan said. “I started playing in sixth grade. I wasn’t allowed to play sooner than that because I was bigger than everyone else.”

     An avid Bears fan and Illinois native, Heffernan stayed close to home for college at Illinois State University. As an NCAA Division I football player for the Redbirds, he played in front of thousands of fans as a defensive tackle. He was also part of the NCAA football video game that was released in 2004 which allowed gamers to play football as real life college players.

     After two years, he transferred to Elmhurst University in Illinois and continued playing the sport he loved. At Elmhurst, “I rediscovered what football could do for me,” said Heffernan. “I found my way again because of the influence of my coaches, which helped me decide that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.” During his final year at Elmhurst, he took to the sidelines as a part of the coaching staff where he learned the ins and outs of the game through a new lens. 

     Heffernan started his coaching journey after the fall of 2006.  “I learned the logistics side of the game and fell in love with coaching,” he said.

     After graduating with a degree in Kinesiology in 2007, he took his coaching talents to Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota before heading to UW-Stevens Point where he helped lead the football team to a WIAC championship.

     Following his stint there, he found himself in northern Minnesota, coaching at CSS for the first time. “My first year at CSS was 2009, a year after they had started the program here,” he said. “I was the offensive line coach, assistant coach, and strength and conditioning coach from 2009-2013, and I helped the team to two UMAC championships.”

     Heffernan decided to return to his roots in 2013 when he went back to coach his alma mater, Elmhurst. After a few years there and a short time in New Hampshire, he returned to CSS for a second time. Following the 2018 season, Heffernan was named the next head coach of the program.

     Although head coach of the CSS team was a new role for him, he’s used to the responsibility. “I don’t know what it's like not to have a large group,” he said. In his role as head coach, he has worked to transform the program, especially after it fell to low numbers following the pandemic and the school’s transition to the more competitive Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

     “The number one goal for me when I took over as head coach was to restart the program,” Heffernan said. “The biggest thing was building the foundation and culture from within and bringing in the right guys to move the program forward.” This was no small task. Heffernan, along with the rest of the coaching staff, worked 80-100 hour weeks during the season to prepare the players for the games ahead. 

     Although the hours are long, game day makes it all worth it for Heffernan. “On gameday, all of our work leading up to it is done,” he said. “It's our guys' day to perform, it’s all about them. I love everything about football all the time, but my favorite part is seeing our guys compete.”

     During practices and on the sideline, he relies on the KISS theory — Keep It Simple Stupid — to help keep himself in line. “In the end, it doesn’t matter how much we as a team know if it’s not simple,” Heffernan said. “I have to keep it simple, and if I don’t, then I’m an idiot for not doing that. Usually if it’s not simple enough then it's my own fault.”

     Heffernan has a constant passion for football and when he does have time outside of the game, it’s spent with his family. “I have a wonderful wife and three kids, and in the end, we’re a football family,” he said. “They’re at practice and games as much as they can be. Everything, especially in the fall, revolves around our games and what is going on.” To Heffernan, his players are an extension of his family and his work isn’t just work - it’s his lifestyle. For him, it’s football all the time.

     As the head coach of Saints football, “Coach Heff” has created a culture like never before — a feat that  wouldn’t have been possible without his passion for the game and for his team. “The biggest thing is the guys in the program know that they’re a part of something bigger than themselves,” he said. “They know what they represent and they will always be proud of it.”