Heiss reaches 1,000 games at Waubonsee
Over 32 seasons as the men’s basketball head coach at Waubonsee Community College, Dave Heiss has literally prepared a thousand game plans, given a thousand halftime and post-game speeches, and has guided the Chiefs to 595 wins and counting. Included in that victory total was the Chiefs’ 94-90 triumph at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights on Jan. 12, which was Heiss’ 1,000th career game leading Waubonsee’s program. In recognition of that milestone, there will be a short presentation to honor Heiss prior to the Chiefs’ home game against Moraine Valley Community College on Tuesday, Jan. 24. Waubonsee’s women’s team is set to battle the Cyclones beginning at 5:15 p.m. with the men’s game set to start at 7:15 p.m.
Heiss took over Waubonsee’s program in 1985 and has led the Chiefs to 595 victories, an average of nearly 20 per season for over three decades. Win number 600 will move him to 11th in career wins among all active NJCAA basketball coaches. Coach Heiss is the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference’s (ISCC) all-time leader in wins with 266, which is 75 more than the second place coach on that list. He has guided Waubonsee to the ISCC championship 11 times, more than double the men’s basketball titles that any other league member has garnered. During his tenure 68 of his players have been named All-ISCC First Team, including eight league MVP Awards.
Coach Heiss has been inducted into NJCAA Region IV Hall of Fame (2006), the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame (2009), the Aurora West High School Athletic Hall of Fame (2010), the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Hall of Fame (2010) and the NJCAA Hall of Fame (2013). He has also been selected as the IBCA and the Region IV Basketball Coach of the Year five times, while the ISCC has tabbed him with that honor ten times. Heiss has led the Chiefs to the Region IV crown and a berth into the NJCAA Division II National Tournament five times.
The recogniton ceremony and both games against Moraine Valley will be streamed ‘live’ on-line at www.Waubonsee.edu/Athletics and will also be carried on local cable television in high definition. Upcoming Waubonsee home games against McHenry County College (Jan. 31), Prairie State College (Feb. 7), Morton College (Feb. 9) and Oakton Community College (Feb. 21) will also be televised. Check your local cable provider to find Waubonsee’s Educational TV channel in your area.
