Courtesy: Sterling Athletics
Sterling College Athletics and Vice President for Athletics, Scott Downing, announced today that Dale Heckman will be the next head men’s and women’s swim coach at Sterling College.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dale Heckman as the head swimming coach,” Downing said. “He is a great fit for Sterling’s mission and culture and also brings valuable experience and insight to the program. Dale is well-known throughout Kansas and the Midwest and is eager to recruit the right student-athletes to build our warrior program.”
Heckman graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelor of arts degree in secondary physical education in 1989 and later earned his Master’s in the Art of Teaching from Friends University in 2004. He began coaching swim at Derby High School from 1989-1993. He moved to Wichita Heights High School where he become the physical education instructor from 1993-2024. In 1998, he added head boys and girls swim coach to his resume.
“I’ve worked at the high school level for so long, I’m looking forward to applying my knowledge and skills at the next level of competition,” Heckman said.
He brings a lot of success and experience to the Warrior’s swim team with over 35 years as a head swim coach. In that time he as coached four individual state champions, two state record holders and was named the Kansas State High School Boys Swim Coach of the Year for the 2006-07 and 2014-15 seasons. Heckman is also the President of the Kansas Swim Coaches association, and has held that position since 2021.
“The reason I chose Sterling was because of the dedication of the coaching staffs in the athletic department. Sterling has coaches who have been here for so long, or were alumni, they have a real connection with the student athletes that I am looking forward to be a part of,” Heckman said.
Heckman is looking forward for the opportunity to start building up the swim program.
“The facilities and resources the athletes have here is far beyond what I envisioned,” he said. “The athletic training staff and the backing of the administration for the swim makes it feel like a good place to build a swim team.”
