New Jersey City University Athletics

 
Ken Heaton begins his 30^th year at New Jersey City University in 2018-19 and his 15^th as assistant director of athletics. It will be his 12th year 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. He guided the baseball program for 18 seasons and is the school’s all-time wins leader on the diamond.
 
Heaton, who has served in an athletic administration role since September 2004, also is the transportation and scheduling coordinator for the 16-team athletics program. Heaton served as the Interim Director of Athletics in Spring, 2018, during the transition from Alice De Fazio to Shawn Tucker in the AD’s chair.
 
Heaton served as New Jersey Athletic Conference 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.
 
Heaton finished his coaching career with a 255-371-8 ledger for the Gothic Knights in 634 games. He became the school’s career leader in wins on April 14, 1998, when he directed the Knights to a 13-1 victory over the United States Merchant Marine Academy. 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 College, 9-6, in Brooklyn, NY.
 
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 tied 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.
 
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 a school-record tying 19 wins. Competing in perhaps the top conference in all of Division III, NJCU reeled off 11 wins in their final 13 games en route to their second-ever NJAC Tournament berth, and the first since 1978.
 
During his coaching tenure, Heaton served on the NCAA Regional Selection Committee and the ECAC Metro NY-NJ Selection Committee.
 
Heaton also directed several community outreach programs for NJCU, including Baseball Fest in October 1998, a one-day youth clinic at Yogi Berra Stadium that served as a benefit to the Mountainside Hospital Foundation. He also conducted numerous clinics for Jersey City youth groups.
 
Heaton was a resident staff member of the Mott-Leeney Baseball School at Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey, and served on the Morris County Baseball Tournament Committee. He also instructed at camps on the high school and American Legion level.
 
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.  His teams at Delbarton captured one Morris County championship under his guidance. A “master of all trades” at the school, Heaton taught physical education, health and driver education along with coaching varsity football, basketball and baseball.
 
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.
 
Born May 16, 1960, Heaton resides with his wife Cindy on Lake Hopatcong, NJ, where he enjoys outdoor sports including sailing and fishing.