APPLETON, Wis. -- Marcus Heidorf has been named the new women's basketball coach at Lawrence University, Provost David Burrows announced Thursday.
Heidorf comes to Lawrence from Alverno College, where he served as an assistant women's basketball coach last season.
"I am impressed by Marc's enthusiasm and determination to build a strong program," Burrows said. "The students who met him are excited about him and are eager to begin working with him."
As a native of nearby Manitowoc, Heidorf has closely followed the Lawrence women's basketball program and knows of the team's successes over the past two decades. He believes the Vikings will return to their position as one of the Midwest Conference's top teams.
"I could not possibly be more honored and excited to be the new head women's basketball coach at Lawrence. This job has been a dream position over the years for me both personally and professionally," Heidorf said. "This is a program that has had success in its very recent history. After meeting the people, players, and staff here, I am convinced that the tools and support necessary to win are in place to enable us to be successful again. We know it's going to take some work to reach those goals, so I'm here ready to roll up my sleeves and do what it takes to get the job done."
Heidorf has been coaching women's basketball for more than a decade and got his start when he was a student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He served as an assistant coach for the 1997-98 season in which UW-Oshkosh won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
A 1998 gradute of UW-Oshkosh with a bachelor's degree in radio/TV/film, Heidorf coached at the high school level from 1998-2006. He worked as the junior varsity head girls' basketball coach at Ripon High School from 1998-2001 before coaching the varsity boys' team at St. Lawrence Seminary from 2001-03. Heidorf was the varsity girls' head coach at Manitowoc Lincoln High School from 2003-05 before spending the 2005-06 season as the varsity girls' assistant coach at Menasha High School.
Heidorf returned to the college coaching ranks in 2006. While attending graduate school at UW-La Crosse, Heidorf was the graduate assistant coach for the women's basketball team in 2006-07. He received his Master of Science degree in sport administration from UW-La Crosse in 2007.
While working last season at Alverno, Heidorf helped the Inferno notch its first victory ever in the Northern Athletics Conference, and the team more than doubled its win total from the previous season.
Heidorf and his wife, Sarah, have a son, Parker, and live in Sherwood.
Lawrence tips off its season Nov. 15 when it hosts Macalester College. The Vikings return six letterwinners from a team that finished 4-19 overall and 1-15 in Midwest Conference play.