Trevecca Athletic Hall of Fame
Julie Van Beek Heisey, who restarted the Trevecca women’s basketball program in 1996 and developed the program into a national power, led the program to the NAIA national championships in only her fourth season.
Heisey built an NAIA national power at Trevecca and in short order. Her career record at Trevecca is 162-119. After starting her coaching career with a 4-24 record in her first season at TNU, she quickly turned the program into a winner, posting a 15-14 record in her second season.
When informed about her selection to the Trevecca hall of fame, Heisey stated, “I just want to say thank you to the Trevecca community for this recognition. As much as I am being honored, it really is an honor for so many people. We would never have been able to build a program so quickly without great support and enthusiasm from coaches and assistant coaches, administrators, professors, and charismatic student body leaders. Even when we were 4-24, we had students and boosters who came out to support our team. They believed in us.”
Heisey was hired too late to recruit for that first season but brought in 11 players prior to her second season. Holly Carter, a true freshman, turned into a four-year player and key contributor at the point guard position. Hilary Howard, also in the hall of fame, and Carrie Hook were transfers that immediately impacted the program into a winner.
In her fourth season, as she promised in an interview with the Tennessean prior to her first season, Heisey produced the first NAIA Tournament berth for the upstart program. The team turned in a stunning 24-9 record and won the TranSouth Eastern Division title, finished second overall in the TranSouth, and reached the NAIA National Tournament and the Sweet 16.
Heisey paused to recall how unique her time on the Hill was in Nashville: “The building of the women’s basketball program was a very special time at TNU. Trevecca was an easy place to sell. Consequently, we were able to attract some quality young women and some quality athletes. We laid a great foundation, and God blessed our efforts in so many ways. Thus, I am extremely honored and humbled to come back and accept an award that really includes a lot of people. There is no way what was accomplished because of me. The accomplishment was a team effort, and I am excited to share this award with “the team.”
Heisey was named the 2000 TranSouth Coach of the Year after the team's dramatic rise in its fourth season.
Alan Smith, the Trevecca and NAIA Hall of Fame tennis coach and athletic director, worked alongside Heisey for several years prior to his retirement. Smith said of Heisey, “The first thing I think of when I hear the name Coach Julie Van Beek Heisey is her love for her players and her desire to be more like Christ.”
Smith added, “Julie is a winner in all areas of her life. We were fortunate to have her at Trevecca for nine years. She did an incredible job of restarting the women's program and building it to national prominence in such a short time. She knew about her players on the court and in their daily lives. She loved each one of them and took the time to encourage and help them in all aspects of their lives. Players, faculty, fans, and opposing coaches knew that Coach Van Beek was honest and fair in all areas of her program. Having her on my coaching staff was an athletic director’s dream!”
Coach Heisey continued to build, producing a 130-62 record during the last six seasons with six consecutive trips to the NAIA National Tournament. Her teams averaged nearly 22 wins (21.7) and only 10.3 per season during that stretch. That feat is even more impressive when one considers the conference and age of the program during that time.
In her last six years at Trevecca, Heisey produced an impressive 64-21 record in the TranSouth Athletic Conference. During that stretch of time, the TSAC was one of, if not, the toughest conference in the NAIA.
In her last season at TNU she led the team to the “Elite 8” round of the NAIA National Tournament. Trevecca opened the tournament with a 71-68 victory over the University of the Cumberlands and proceeded to dispatch defending champion Southern Nazarene University 80-64.
Heisey just completed her ninth season (2013-2014) as the head coach at Seattle Pacific University near her native state of Idaho.
Heisey and her husband, Randy, live in Seattle.
Van Beek Heisey Milestones
1996-1997 First win: 12/07/96 - Asbury College - 76-65
1996-1997 First Road Win: 12/07/96 - Asbury College - 76-65
1996-1997 First Home Win: 12/07/96 - Asbury College - 70-54
1996-1997 First Conference Win: 02/01/97 - Williams Baptist 63-61 OT
1996-1997 First Conference Road Win: 02/01/97 - Williams Baptist 63-61 OT
1996-1997 First Conference Home Win: 02/10/97 - Blue Mountain 69-56
1997-1998 First Winning Season: 15-14
1997-1998 First Home Winning Record: 8-6
1999-2000 First 20-win Season: 24-9
1999-2000 First NAIA Top 25 Ranking: 12/07/1999 - No. 17
1999-2000 First Championship: TranSouth Eastern Division - 11-2
1999-2000 First Winning Conference Record: 11-2
1999-2000 First Winning Road Record: 8-5
1999-2000 First Postseason Win: 02/28/00 - Martin Methodist - 86-65 (TSAC)
1999-2000 First TranSouth Championship Game: 03/06/00 - @ Union
1999-2000 First NAIA National Tournament Appearance - Sweet 16
1999-2000 First NAIA National Tournament Win: 03/16/00 - Oklahoma Baptist - 64-63
2004-2005 First NAIA National Tournament Elite 8 Appearance
Six straight NAIA National Tournament appearances 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Won first six games of 1999-200 season
Won 11-consecutive games 2002-2003 season, including a win over No. 1 Southern Nazarene, MidAmerica Nazarene, Point Loma Nazarene, and two over Olivet Nazarene
Won last eight season-opening games
Five of her nine TNU teams were ranked in the WBCA Academic Top 25
The 2000-2001 team ranked No. 11 in the WBCA Academic Top 25
Ranked in NAIA Top 25 for 61 consecutive polls (02/27/01 - 03/08/05)
*started 122 consecutive weeks in the top 25 for TNU (02/27/01 - 10/25/10)
Teams ranked in NAIA Top 25 for a total of 73 weeks
Highest NAIA Ranking: No. 4 - 01/07/03
Van Beek Heisey Player Honors
NAIA All-Americans: (10) Jennifer Wilson (4), Molly Schoenberg, Lindsey Fly (3), Jackie Weaver (1), Ashlie Gilland (1)
Trevecca Hall of Fame: (6) Hilary Howard, Molly Schoenberg, Jennifer Wilson, Lindsey Fly, Jackie Weaver, Ashlie Gilland
NAIA National Tournament Team: (1) Ashlie Gilland
NAIA Player of the Week: (2) Jennifer Wilson, Lindsey Fly
NAIA Scholar-Athletes: (12) Medina Bogard (2), Jamie Mills (3), Molly Schoenberg, Stephanie Arnett (2), Sara Menees, Jennifer Wilson (2), Kristin Scoggins
TranSouth Newcomer of the Year: (5) Hilary Howard, Amanda Geer, Jennifer Wilson, Lindsey Fly, Jackie Weaver
TranSouth All-Freshman Team: (4) Jennifer Wilson, Ashlie Gilland, Leah Thornton, Mariska Reed
TranSouth All-Conference: (19) Missi Oakley, Hilary Howard (2), Jennifer Wilson (4), Carrie Hook, Molly Schoenberg (2), Lindsey Fly (3), Ashley Boykin, Leslie Golden, Audrey Leatherman, Ashlie Gilland, Jackie Weaver, Jana Reed
TranSouth All-Tournament Team: (3) Ashley Boykin, Lindsey Fly, Jackie Weaver
TranSouth Player of the Week: (8) Jennifer Wilson (3), Molly Schoenberg, Lindsey Fly (2), Charity Williams, Jackie Weaver
TranSouth Scholar-Athlete: (33)
Hilary Howard, Holly Carter (2), Medina Bogard (2), Stephanie Arnett (3), Ashley Boykin, Jessica Lacey, Sara Menees (2), Jamie Mills (3), Ramona Moga (2), Molly Schoenberg, Mindy Williams, Jennifer Wilson (2)
Amy Bolton (2), Emily Clark (2), Lindsey Fly (2), Kristin Scoggins (3), Sharon Gabuat, Candice McCool, Amy Hutchins
