“Go Broncos” will flow smoothly from new HC Bronco Women’s Soccer Head Coach Mark Hiemenz’s (HEE-menz) mouth. The ’97 DePauw University graduate just spent five seasons as assistant soccer coach at Boise (Idaho) State University – also home of the Broncos.
But the shared mascot isn’t why Hiemenz was hired for the position.
“While coaching at Carroll College in Montana, Mark proved he can take a fledgling team to the NAIA national tournament,” said Jerry Schmutte, Athletic Director at Hastings College. “Given that track record and the additional experience he gained at Boise State — an NCAA Division I school, I’m really excited to see what he will do with an established program such as ours.”
“His success with cultivating successful scholars fits well with Hastings College’s expectations, too,” Schmutte said.
For Hiemenz, the move to Hastings College is “a perfect storm” — allowing him to coach a nationally recognized team and be closer to his wife’s family. Katie (Lang) Hiemenz is a Nebraska native who coached the HC Bronco Women’s Soccer team in 2006 after serving as a graduate assistant under the program’s first head coach, Dale Behrens.
“I am truly excited and humbled in accepting the head coaching position at Hastings College and look forward to working with both the returning and first-year group of student-athletes,” said Hiemenz. “Furthermore, I am forever grateful for the wonderful people at Boise State like Coach Steve Lucas and Senior Associate Athletic Director Curt Apsey who provided me the environment to grow both as a coach and person.
“While I’m departing one tremendous Bronco family, I believe I’m joining another one at Hastings College. After my conversations with Jerry Schmutte and [HC Bronco Men’s Soccer Head Coach] Chris Kranjc, I knew that bringing my wife and daughter closer to our family was the right decision. With exceptional facilities and academic reputation, I firmly believe Hastings has the potential to achieve great success regionally and nationally.”
Hiemenz’s new appointment is effective on August 1, 2012.
Official Biography for Mark Hiemenz
A 1997 alum of DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., he has spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach for the Boise (Idaho) State Broncos, assisting with the day-to-day operations of the program and on field coaching. In addition, he served as the recruiting coordinator and goalkeeper coach. During his tenure with the Broncos, the team played in the 2009 NCAA tournament, won the 2009 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship, produced 21 Academic All-Conference selections and recorded 13 wins, the most in a single season for the program.
Mark has a strong collegiate coaching background following five years as the head coach at Carroll College in Montana. While at the Helena school, Mark revitalized the program and guided the Saints through a dramatic improvement from a 4-7-4 record in 2002, to a 14-4-1 record in 2005, and finally to a 13-6-1 record and the school’s first appearance in the NAIA National Tournament in 2006. In his final three seasons with the Fighting Saints, they finished ranked in the NAIA’s top 25 going 14-7-0 in 2004 to finish 25th nationally. In 2005, they earned a No. 19 final ranking, and in 2006, they were ranked as high as ninth before finishing 12th in the final poll, their best postseason ranking all-time.
Mark’s overall record at Carroll was 56-30-7. In addition, he coached 19 academic All-Americans, 15 NAIA all-region selections and nine honorable mention All-Americans. The team also won an NSCAA Team Academic Award four years in a row by maintaining a 3.0 team GPA or higher.
After graduating from DePauw, he became an assistant coach at his alma mater for one year. He then spent two years at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, where he was an assistant coach and goalkeeper coach. During his two years at Gustavus, the team advanced to the NCAA DIII Tournament and “Sweet Sixteen”, finished ranked No. 10 in the NSCAA poll, and completed the 2000 season 17-2-1. While at DePauw and Gustavus, he coached eight all-region players (including three goalkeepers) and one All-American. Before taking the position at Carroll College, Mark was a head coach for the nationally recognized soccer club, Real Colorado.
Mark currently holds an Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America as well as an USSF National Goalkeeping License.
He grew up playing premier soccer in Indiana and Michigan and went on to play college soccer at DePauw University from 1993-97, where he was a four-year starter for the nationally ranked NCAA DIII school and participated in two NCAA Tournaments. In addition, Mark played in the Professional Development League for the Mid-Michigan Bucks.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in English literature. Mark and his wife, Katie, have a daughter McKenna (2).
Note to Media: For more information, contact Jerry Schmutte at jschmutte@hastings.edu or (402) 984-6340.
