Hall of Fame
It is not rare to see a running back on the field during special teams play. Most of the time you will find them returning the kicks, but in the case of Dan Heeren, he was pulling triple duty as a running back, punt returner and punter during his four years on the Kohawk football team. Heeren was one of the few players that got the chance to play as a freshman. While he only played in the home games, it gave him the valuable experience that he would put to use over the next three years. He rushed the ball 442 times for 2,384 career yards. His rushing total moved him into the number one spot for 16 years until a man by the name of Carey Bender came along and broke almost every record Coe had. His 2,384 yards still ranks fourth all-time and his 442 carries puts him fifth all-time. His career average of 5.39 yards per game ranks either fifth or sixth best, depending on how many yards current Kohawk Ashton Northern rushes for each Saturday. It's only fitting with those numbers and ranks that he joins Bender in the Hall of Fame. While Heeren wasn't always able to get a first down for the Kohawks rushing the ball, they could always rely on him to put the defense in good position with his punts. In 1972 he set the school record and led the nation in punting average at 41.5 yards per punt. That mark stood for a short two years, as he broke his own record with a 44.2 yard average in 1974. Both marks still stand as the top two season punting averages in school history. In 1974 he kicked a 90-yard punt, the longest punt in NCAA Division III history. He led the nation in punting average in 1973 and 1974, while his 1975 season was cut short due to injury. Heeren was a three-time All-Midwest Conference honoree on some of the best teams coach Wayne Phillips coached at Coe. The Kohawks compiled a 25-16 record in his four years, including back-to-back 8-1 seasons, that included winning the Midwest Conference championship both years. Tonight, for his outstanding contributions to Coe College athletics, I am privileged to welcome Dan Heeren to the Athletic Hall of Fame.
