TicketsCINCINNATI – JD Heilmann has joined the University of Cincinnati baseball staff as an assistant coach, Head Coach Scott Googins announced Wednesday.
It is the third stint at UC for Heilmann who was the Bearcats pitching coach and recruiting coordinator from 2009-13 and played at UC in 1997 while earning a degree in communications. Heilmann coached with Googins at Xavier from 2005-09.
"I'm really excited about getting back with JD," Googins said. "First and foremost, he's a UC guy, having played and coached here.
JD is a relentless recruiter who is well connected in the Cincinnati area with professional scouts and coaches and he's also great at developing talent. With his previous experience here as a player and coach, he has a unique perspective for our current and future student-athletes about what it takes to succeed at UC, which is very beneficial to our program."
Heilmann was responsible for bringing former All-American and current Chicago Cubs infielder Ian Happ (2013-15) to the Queen City for his collegiate career.
He joins Googins' inaugural UC staff after working as the general manager of the Midland Baseball program, overseeing 18 amateur teams with ages ranging from 8-18. He also served as Prep Baseball Report's scouting supervisor (2016-17) and Scouting Director (2014-16) and was an associate scout for the Atlanta Braves (2015-17).
Heilmann is regarded as one of the top pitching coaches in college baseball and is known for his ability to develop and relate to pitchers.
Under Heilmann's tutelage, seven Bearcats went on to pitch in professional baseball. Six were selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft – right-handers Connor Walsh (2014), Zach Isler (2012), Christian McElroy (2012) and Dan Jensen (2011), and lefties Brian Garman (2010) and Kevin Johnson (2010) and Ryan Atkinson (2015) signed a free-agent contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Additionally, Heilmann mentored Andrew Strenge, who was named a 2010 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and a PingBaseball.com Third-Team Freshman All-American after breaking the BIG EAST single-season ERA record with a 0.62 ERA in conference-only contests.
He overtook a Cincinnati pitching staff that posted a 6.73 ERA in 2009 and shrunk the group's ERA to 4.25 in 2010, which ranked third in the BIG EAST Conference and 26th nationally.
Prior to Cincinnati, Heilmann served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Xavier University for seven seasons and in 2009, he helped the Musketeers to a school record for wins en route to their first Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
Prior to coaching at Xavier, Heilmann briefly coached at Division II Northern Kentucky University and at local Division III power Mount St. Joseph. At both stops, Heilmann was in charge of the development of the pitching staff, as well as assisting in recruiting. While at Mount St. Joseph, Heilmann played a key role in the Lions' success, which included a Heartland Conference Championship in 2000 and a NCAA Regional runner-up finish in 2000.
In addition to his years on the collegiate level, Heilmann spent five summers as both an assistant and head coach in the nationally recognized Midland summer baseball organization. He helped guide his teams to success on the national level, evidenced by a fourth-place finish in 1999 and two second-place finishes in 1997 and 2002.
Heilmann played for the Bearcats in 1997 earned a communications degree while completing his eligibility at the University of Cincinnati following a transfer from Ball State.
A 1993 Moeller High School graduate, Heilmann helped the Crusaders capture a State Baseball Championship, while earning All-City and All-League honors.
Heilmann and his wife Raegene have two children, Dax and Ryley.
It is the third stint at UC for Heilmann who was the Bearcats pitching coach and recruiting coordinator from 2009-13 and played at UC in 1997 while earning a degree in communications. Heilmann coached with Googins at Xavier from 2005-09.
"I'm really excited about getting back with JD," Googins said. "First and foremost, he's a UC guy, having played and coached here.
JD is a relentless recruiter who is well connected in the Cincinnati area with professional scouts and coaches and he's also great at developing talent. With his previous experience here as a player and coach, he has a unique perspective for our current and future student-athletes about what it takes to succeed at UC, which is very beneficial to our program."
Heilmann was responsible for bringing former All-American and current Chicago Cubs infielder Ian Happ (2013-15) to the Queen City for his collegiate career.
He joins Googins' inaugural UC staff after working as the general manager of the Midland Baseball program, overseeing 18 amateur teams with ages ranging from 8-18. He also served as Prep Baseball Report's scouting supervisor (2016-17) and Scouting Director (2014-16) and was an associate scout for the Atlanta Braves (2015-17).
Heilmann is regarded as one of the top pitching coaches in college baseball and is known for his ability to develop and relate to pitchers.
Under Heilmann's tutelage, seven Bearcats went on to pitch in professional baseball. Six were selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft – right-handers Connor Walsh (2014), Zach Isler (2012), Christian McElroy (2012) and Dan Jensen (2011), and lefties Brian Garman (2010) and Kevin Johnson (2010) and Ryan Atkinson (2015) signed a free-agent contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Additionally, Heilmann mentored Andrew Strenge, who was named a 2010 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and a PingBaseball.com Third-Team Freshman All-American after breaking the BIG EAST single-season ERA record with a 0.62 ERA in conference-only contests.
He overtook a Cincinnati pitching staff that posted a 6.73 ERA in 2009 and shrunk the group's ERA to 4.25 in 2010, which ranked third in the BIG EAST Conference and 26th nationally.
Prior to Cincinnati, Heilmann served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Xavier University for seven seasons and in 2009, he helped the Musketeers to a school record for wins en route to their first Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
Prior to coaching at Xavier, Heilmann briefly coached at Division II Northern Kentucky University and at local Division III power Mount St. Joseph. At both stops, Heilmann was in charge of the development of the pitching staff, as well as assisting in recruiting. While at Mount St. Joseph, Heilmann played a key role in the Lions' success, which included a Heartland Conference Championship in 2000 and a NCAA Regional runner-up finish in 2000.
In addition to his years on the collegiate level, Heilmann spent five summers as both an assistant and head coach in the nationally recognized Midland summer baseball organization. He helped guide his teams to success on the national level, evidenced by a fourth-place finish in 1999 and two second-place finishes in 1997 and 2002.
Heilmann played for the Bearcats in 1997 earned a communications degree while completing his eligibility at the University of Cincinnati following a transfer from Ball State.
A 1993 Moeller High School graduate, Heilmann helped the Crusaders capture a State Baseball Championship, while earning All-City and All-League honors.
Heilmann and his wife Raegene have two children, Dax and Ryley.