Kerri Heinbaugh is new to the Bryan College Women's Soccer Coaching Staff as of May 2017 and will be entering the 2017-18 season as her first year with the Lions.
A native of Fredericksburg, Va., Heinbaugh comes to Bryan after serving as an assistant coach with NCAA Div. I and Mid-American Conference school, University of Akron (Ohio) Women's Soccer Team, and helped the Lady Zips in 2015-16 to their best start in a season since 2008, first MAC tournament appearance since 2011, and first-ever appearance in the MAC Tournament Semifinals.
Prior to Akron, Heinbaugh called NCAA Div. II Slippery Rock University (Penn.) her home where she performed the duties of a graduate assistant during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. But her passion for the sport truly revealed itself at NCAA Div. I powerhouse, West Virginia University, where she competed in her undergraduate career for the Mountaineers and earned a spot in both the NCAA and West Virginia University's record books. Her 44 shutouts compiled during her career while wearing old gold and blue is the 7th-highest in NCAA history and the best by any Mountaineer. She also holds the record at West Virginia for career goals-against average (0.67) and single-season shutouts (14). With Heinbaugh between the posts for the West Virginia, the Mountaineers took the BIG EAST Conference crown in 2007 and 2010 before switching over to the BIG 12 Conference where they also were named conference champions, while also seeing the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. Her performance on the pitch earned her All-BIG EAST, BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team, BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Soccer Buzz All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team, and NSCAA All-Region honors.
In 2012, Heinbaugh received her bachelor's degree from West Virginia in exercise physiology. Instead of moving on directly after graduation, she chose to keep the high reputation alive of Mountaineer's goalies by mentoring the women's soccer keepers for two years, as well as, pass on her knowledge to participants of the West Virginia United Soccer Club and West Virginia Women's Soccer summer camps.
Her playing career was far from over following her time as a Mountaineer as she gained attention at an Atlanta Beat open tryout, giving way to her first action in Women's Professional Soccer. Her extensive playing career also includes being a part of D.C. United Women's Soccer's inaugural season, which is a member of the W-League, the second tier of Women's Professional Soccer in the United States and Canada.
Along with coaching at Bryan, she will be guarding the goal for the Chattanooga Football Club, which is a Southeast Division member of the National Premier Soccer League, and serving as a CFC Academy Coach and Goalkeeper Trainer.
Heinbaugh received a master's degree in student affairs in higher education from Slippery Rock in 2015 and owns both an NSCAA Level 1 Goalkeeper License and USSF "F" License. She is registered to take the USSF "E" License this month. Another goal of hers is to complete both the USSF "D" License and bump her NSCAA Goalkeeper License to Level 2 this summer.
Kerri currently resides in Chattanooga, Tenn.
