Western Carolina third-year offensive coordinator Keith Heckendorf will be relieved of his coaching duties, the school announced today. The decision by Catamount head football coach Dennis Wagner came on Tuesday.
With the change, Wagner will assume the role of offensive coordinator for the 2011 season. He also plans on determining other coaching responsibilities and restructuring the coaching staff as the group moves through the recruiting season and into spring football practice.
“We are looking at making some changes. We want to make sure everything we want to do is in place so we can build a solid foundation on which to build next season,” said Wagner, who will enter his fourth year at the helm in 2011. “I will be the offensive coordinator next season.”
Western Carolina now turns its focus to the off-season training regimen, as well as to recruiting for the upcoming season. Wagner and his staff have boasted highly-ranked recruiting classes each of the past two years according to various pundits. Last year’s incoming class was ranked first in the SoCon according to SouthernPigskin.com while two years ago, WCU’s signing class was ranked third by Rivals.com in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.
Entering next season, the Catamount football team includes 15 seniors with 13 members of the junior class, 24 sophomores and 17 expected to earn redshirt freshmen status from this year.