Athletic Director

The leader behind one of the nation’s more successful athletics programs, Carl Heinrich begins his 10th season as athletics director at Johnson County Community College. Heinrich has guided JCCC through some of the school’s most dynamic times since assuming the position as JCCC’s fourth athletics director in the fall of 2000. Heinrich has been associated with Johnson County, either as a coach or administrator since the fall of 1991. He oversees a 41-year-old department that now fields 18 varsity sports, and continues to lead the Johnson County Community College athletics program in a positive direction.

The hallmark of Heinrich’s time as the JCCC’s athletics director has been the overall excellence of his entire program, with every Cavaliers’ sport achieving a new pinnacle. During his tenure at Johnson County Community College, the Cavaliers have claimed eight of the school’s 10 NJCAA National Championships, 46 NJCAA Region VI titles and 46 Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Eastern Division titles. Additionally under Heinrich’s guidance, a total of 110 teams have earned NJCAA National Tournament berths, with 42 finishing among the top-five nationally.

Some of the other highlights of JCCC’s athletics success in Heinrich’s nine years at the helm include 400 athletes earning NJCAA All-America accolades, and a majority of the 18 sports programs being ranked in the National Top 20 each year. In 2004-05, 15 of JCCC’s 18 sports appeared in the national rankings. A year earlier, 16 of 18 were ranked nationally. In 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08, 17 of the Cavaliers 18 sports appeared in national rankings. Last year 13 of the 18 teams appeared in the national rankings.

With all of JCCC’s Athletics’ storied history in mind, one would be hard-pressed to find a more successful year at Johnson County than in 2004-05. The JCCC athletics department finished second behind Mesa Community College in the final NATYCAA (National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators) Cup standings, the national all-sports competition that recognizes all NJCAA Championship sports for both men’s and women’s athletics and ranks the top overall athletics programs in the country. The second-place showing marked JCCC’s top finish in the history of the award, topping its sixth-place showing in its inaugural year. In 2005-06, the third year of the competition, JCCC finished third in the standings, and the following year, JCCC added another third-place trophy to its collection. However the 2007-08 season was the pinnacle, as JCCC was crowned the NATYCAA Cup champions, accumulating 142 points for their first every cup championship. JCCC had seven teams finish in the top five nationally in 2007-08, and four others finish in the top 10. JCCC athletes garnered 57 All-America honors, 76 All-Region selections and 129 earned All-Jayhawk Conference accolades. Additionally, Heinrich was named as the Astro Turf Athletics Director of the Year at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of America (NACDA) convention in June, 2008. He was the Central District winner at the Junior College/Community College level.

The foundation for success began immediately, as all 16 sports reached the postseason, with 13 making their respective NJCAA championship in his first season at the helm. That trend continued in his second year, as all 16 again qualified for postseason, with 12 teams reaching NJCAA championship play. In 2002-03, all 16 teams qualified for postseason play, and 10 teams competed for a national title. In 2003-04 JCCC added men’s and women’s 1/2 marathon, upping the department’s program total to 18 varsity sports. That season 12 teams reached NJCAA championship play. In 2004-05 and 2007-08 12 teams competed for a national championship, and last year, 13 of the 18 sports qualified for NJCAA Championship play, with two coming away as national champions.

In 2000-01, JCCC’s intercollegiate won-loss record was 314-122-1, a superb .720 overall winning effort. Included in that total was a stunning 125-44-1 record compiled by JCCC’s women’s intercollegiate teams. The 2001-02 campaign nearly mirrored that success, as JCCC’s teams registered a won-loss record of 331-115-3, a winning percentage of .740. In 2002-03, JCCC athletics registered a .683 winning percentage posting a won-loss mark of 296-137-2. In 2003-04, the men’s and women’s teams combined for a .669 winning percentage with a 275-136 record. Three years ago the teams combined for a mark of 300-114 for a .725 percentage. Two years ago JCCC teams combined for a 286-151-1 record, a winning .653. In 2006-07, JCCC posted a winning percentage of .741 with a combined mark of 644-218-9., and in 2007-08 JCCC teams were 641-233-11, good for a .731 winning percentage. Last year JCCC teams combined for a .680 percentage with a 606-284-9 mark.

Along with the unprecedented on-the-field successes, JCCC also reached new heights in the classroom. During the past nine years, Johnson County student-athletes have earned 100 NJCAA Academic All-America accolades, including 15 in 2002-03 and 11 in 2003-04. In the 2005-06 season, JCCC led the country with 16 individual earning Academic All-America status, and in 2006-07 and 2008-09 JCCC was again among the national leaders with 13 individual Academic All-Americans each year. Also, nearly 50 percent of the student-athletes at JCCC maintained a grade point average of 3.0 or better. The 2000-01 and 2003-04 academic year would bring national academic championships to the softball program. In 2002-03, eight of JCCC’s 16 sports registered a team grade point average above 3.0, and seven of those teams were nominated for NJCAA Academic Team of the Year honors. The 2006-07 women’s basketball compiled a team grade point of 3.42, third-best in the country.

In addition to spearheading the Cavaliers success on the field, Heinrich has also helped elevate the exposure of the program on a national level. In 2004, Heinrich secured the bid for JCCC to host the NJCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship. As director, Heinrich oversaw one of the more successful tournaments in the history of that championship. Heinrich also helped JCCC secure the bid to host the NJCAA Half Marathon Championship in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The 2008 Half Marathon Championship featured the largest field in the championship’s history.

Heinrich is also holds a professional membership in the National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and serves on the executive committee representing two-year colleges. Heinrich also served three years as treasurer for the National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators, one year as second vice president, and this year was named President of NATYCAA for the 2009-10 academic year. Heinrich also served three years as the assistant Region VI director for women’s athletics, and this fall he will begin his second year as Director of Region VI women’s athletics.

Before his appointment as athletic director, Heinrich served two years academic director of physical education and athletics at JCCC. Heinrich will monitor the eligibility of JCCC’s student-athletes and coordinates the curriculum of the HPER department. Heinrich also served two years as program manager, athletics in which he monitored all facility operations for the athletic department and scheduled all events.

Heinrich also served six seasons as the Cavaliers’ assistant baseball coach under Kent Shelley. During their time together, the program posted a 179-103 mark (.635), won two Eastern Sub-region Championships and a Region VI title. The Cavaliers also had six players signed or drafted by Major League Baseball teams.

In January of 1999, he was appointed the interim baseball coach for the season. Heinrich led the Cavaliers to a 28-19 mark and a berth in the Eastern Sub-region Tournament. His 28 wins are the best by a first-year coach in the history of the program. That season, Heinrich had eight players earn all-conference recognition. Heinrich spent two years as the program coordinator for student activities and two years as a career counselor.

Heinrich arrived at JCCC in 1991 after serving as head baseball coach at Highland Community College. A 1978 graduate of the University of Kansas, Heinrich was a former co-captain for the Jayhawks baseball team and served as a graduate assistant.

Heinrich was a four-year standout at first base for the Jayhawks, and ended his KU career with a lifetime .288 average, and a reputation as one of the best glove men in the Big Eight. He also set school career records for at bats (648), hits (135) and doubles (19). He also was one of a handful of Jayhawks to pick up four hits in one game.
 
Before becoming head coach at Highland, he played professionally for the Class A McAllen Dusters of the Lone Star Texas League. Heinrich earned his master’s degree from Northwest Missouri State University in 1985.

Heinrich was born on May 2, 1955. He and his wife, Debbie, have three sons: Kyle, Cal, and C.J.