ELMHURST, Ill. - Elmhurst University and Director of Athletics Glen Brittich have announced the hiring of Joe Heller as the 13th head coach in the history of Elmhurst Baseball.
"We are very excited to welcome Coach Heller to Elmhurst University and the Athletic Department. His wealth of knowledge of the CCIW and history of success in the CCIW will be extremely valuable and we couldn't be more excited about the future of our baseball program. It was clear throughout the interview process Coach Heller valued the student-athlete experience, which is a pillar of our athletic department. In addition, the experience and recruiting ties Coach Heller has will allow us to recruit high caliber student-athletes and create a high successful program, both on the baseball diamond, as well as in the classroom." said Brittich.
"I would like to thank Director of Athletics, Glen Brittich and the search committee for their time and diligence throughout the hiring process. I am extremely excited to be the Head Baseball Coach at Elmhurst University and cannot wait to get started," Heller said.
Heller comes to Elmhurst after spending 15 seasons at North Central College, beginning as a graduate assistant baseball coach from 2009-12 and serving as assistant baseball coach/recruiting coordinator for the past 11 seasons.
At North Central, Heller has helped guide the Cardinals to eight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) regular season championships, qualifying for the NCAA Division III baseball tournament six times and earning a spot in the NCAA Division III College World Series in 2017, finishing third in the country.
Heller has mentored 18 Division III All-Americans across his tenure at North Central, also placing 70 student-athletes on all-region teams. Under Heller's assistance, the Cardinals have placed 77 student-athletes on CCIW All-Conference teams, helping mentor five conference player of the year, four conference pitcher of the year, and three conference newcomer of the year award winners.
In his time in Naperville, Heller has spearheaded fundraising and recruiting efforts for the Cardinals while also serving as the team's director of baseball operations, organizing travel for the team.
A standout athlete himself, Heller was a four-year starter at second base for the Cardinals, earning First Team All-CCIW honors in 2007 and finishing his career ranked eighth in school history in career runs scored (115).
A native of Skokie, Ill., Heller earned his bachelor's degree in social science and history in 2009 and his master's degree in leadership studies with an emphasis in sports leadership in 2012, both from North Central College.