In college athletics, it is extremely rare for coaches, athletes and people in a program to return after they have left. However, Coach Ashley Heidelberger could not stay away from the beautiful Palouse.
On March 5, the University of Idaho announced that Heidelberger was set to return to the Vandals soccer program, joining Coach Jeremy Clevenger and Coach Neal Ozmun as a Vandals women’s soccer coaching staff member.
Heidelberger previously was a part of the Vandals staff from 2011-2014, where she was an assistant coach under then-Head Coach Peter Showler. Heidelberger explained that one reason she returned to the Palouse was family ties.
Heidelberger is excited to join the Vandals and continue their recent success.
“I’m blessed to come into a program that has seen success in the last couple of years, which is amazing,” she said. “(With) them winning a conference championship and got to the NCAA (tournament) for the first time, and I’m excited about that. Coach Clevenger and Coach Ozmun are very open-minded and inclusive of my ideas and what I can bring to the program from my experience, so I’m excited to be able to work with both of them for sure.”
Heidelberger hails from Broad Brook, Connecticut. Before picking up a whistle, she was lacing up her cleats and track shoes. Heidelberger attended the University of Connecticut and the University of San Francisco.
She began at UConn, where she played three seasons for the Huskies. Her first two seasons were cut short due to ACL injuries when she got on the pitch. Heidelberger was part of a Huskies team that went to the NCAA tournament Elite Eight. After that season and two injury-riddled seasons, Heidelberger decided she needed a change.
She continued her soccer and track careers at the University of San Francisco and excelled for the Dons. In two seasons, Heidelberger started in 36 matches, scored four goals and provided three assists.
Heidelberger also excelled on the track. She left the Dons with the school record in the 800-meter dash.
After her playing days, Heidelberger decided to coach, and after a stint with UI, she went on to coach at Brown University from 2014-2016. After Brown, she went to the islands of Hawai’i and coached for the University of Hawai’i from 2016-2018.
After her two-year vacation on the islands, Heidelberger went back to the east coast to coach at the University of Bryant, where she was from 2018-2022. She took a year off to care for her family before she took the Idaho job.
Heidelberger has had a lot of coaching experience and thinks she can bring that to the players here at Idaho.
“I’m a player’s coach. I think I’m able to connect with the players in regards to everybody not learning the same way but figuring out what works with certain players and how to motivate certain players,” she said.
With Heidelberger also playing women’s college soccer, she thinks she can connect with players that way.
“Playing on an elite team and getting to that very elite level and so, one I think that gardeners respect, but two its understanding moments and kind of putting it into perspective. It’s still just a game,” she said.
Through all the challenges and stops in her career, Heidelberger landed back in the arms of the Moscow community as she looks to continue the success for the Vandals and bring home some more hardware.
The Vandals will be in action for their first spring game on Wednesday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m. as they host the Washington State Cougars in the Kibbie Dome.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected]