Head Softball Coach, Omaha (NCAA Division I - Summit League) - 2021-Present
Head Softball Coach, Midland (NAIA) - 2015-21
Head Softball Coach, Marian High School (Omaha, Neb.) - 2013-15
Program Director and Head Coach, Nebraska Fury Fastpitch/Gold - 2007-17
Personal
Omaha native
Bachelor of Science, Exercise Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Heard's daughter Katie is the head softball coach at Millard South High School and his brother Bill is the head softball coach at Gretna High School
At Omaha
Hired as the ninth head coach in program history on Aug. 24, 2021
Record of 148-59 (.715) after the 2025 season
Omaha softball has won three-consecutive Summit League tournament titles (2023, 2024 and 2025)
Omaha has appeared in the Summit League title game in each of Heard's four years
Three straight NCAA tournament berths (2023, 2024 and 2025)
Omaha has been a three-seed in two of those appearances (2023 and 2025)
Since 2022, Omaha has emerged victorious against Autonomous Four institutions (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) 13 times, including NCAA tournament wins
The Mavericks have won at least one NCAA tournament game in each of the program's three postseason berths
In 2025, the Mavericks earned a share of the Summit League Regular Season Championship for the first time in program history
Omaha's 2025 RPI of 46 is the highest in program history
The 2025 Mavericks finished the season ranked No. 9 in the D1 Softball Mid-Major Poll, the highest ranking in program history
Omaha finished the 2025 season with a team fielding percentage of .981, the third best in the country
Named 2024 Summit League Coach of the Year
In 2024, Omaha advanced to the Columbia Regional final, falling to the host Mizzou Tigers in the deciding game
Heard's team boasted the nation's longest win streak in 2024, emerging victorious in 16 straight contests, mixing in wins over Arizona, Nebraska and Purdue
The 2023 Mavericks were the first-ever women's team at Omaha to win a game in the NCAA tournament in the institution's Division I era
The 2022 season, Heard's first, saw Omaha post the team's best Division I season at the time, with the most victories since 2014 (32) and 17 league wins (most in DI era)
Heard led the Mavericks to four conference series sweeps in 2022 (North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas City and Western Illinois), marking the first time since 2016 Omaha softball completed a series sweep
In Heard's tenure, Omaha has collected:
28 All-Summit League honors
Back-to-back Summit League Pitchers of the Year
Back-to-back Summit League Defensive Players of the Year
Omaha has placed two or more players on the NFCA All-Region Teams in three of Heard's four seasons
Five Mavericks have earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® honors with one (Sydney Ross) earning a spot on prestigious CSC Academic All-America® Second Team
Maggie O'Brien was a finalist for the 2025 CSC Academic All-America® teams
49 Mavericks have been named NFCA Scholar-Athletes since 2022 and the team boasts a cumulative GPA of 3.683 since Heard's arrival
In 2023 and 2025, Omaha softball finished with an NFCA/Easton Top 10 GPA in all of Division I with the 2025 team ranking No. 3 (3.787 GPA).
Midland Highlights
147-92 record over five seasons
Captured three GPAC Regular Season Championships in five seasons - 2018, 2019 and 2021 (2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
2021 GPAC Tournament Champions
Led the Warriors to three NAIA national tournament appearances (2018, 2019 and 2021)
Three-time GPAC Coach of the Year (2018, 2019, 2021)
Midland student-athletes captured 15 First Team All-Conference and 11 Second Team All-Conference selections with Heard as head coach
Two GPAC Player of the Year selections
Two GPAC Pitcher of the Year selections
Average team GPA of 3.49 over six years
Marian High School Highlights
Three seasons as Crusaders head coach
Won the 2015 NSAA Class A State Championship, the school's first-ever title
In 2014, led Marian to the program's first state tournament appearance in eight years, finishing as state runner-up
Nebraska Fury/Gold Highlights
Head coach of the Nebraska Fury Fastpitch/Gold travel softball team for 10 seasons
Heard's 2015 Nebraska Gold 16U team won the ASA/USA 16U Gold National Championship, becoming the first championship team from the state of Nebraska
Nebraska Fury teams have consistently finished in the top 20 of major softball championships since its inception
Honors
2024 Summit League Coach of the Year
Three-time GPAC Coach of the Year (Midland) - 2018, 2019 and 2021
