CLARKSVILLE, Ark. - Veteran NCAA Division III coach Heidi Pinkerton will join the University of the Ozarks as head coach for the Eagles' women's and men's cross country and track and field programs. The announcement was made by UO Director of Athletics Jimmy Clark (May 30).
Pinkerton served as head coach of cross country and track and field at Transylvania University from 2011-17 where she helped both track and field programs to unprecedented heights. The 2017 season saw the women's program post its highest finish ever at the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championships, while the men's program tallied the most points in program history at the HCAC meet. In women's and men's cross country, Pinkerton consistently improved the team scoring at the conference championships.
"I am really excited to be a part of the cross country and track programs at University of the Ozarks," said Pinkerton. "I want to build on the success already established and further the program's potential. I want to continue moving up in the (American Southwest) conference. It is exciting that the men's team is a really young group. On the women's side, I like the challenge of building the numbers and advancing within the conference."
Prior to her stint at Transylvania, Pinkerton was the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Guilford College. The men's cross country program placed second at the 2010 conference championships. On the women's side, each of her cross country runners set personal records by the end of the 2010 season. While at Guilford, she helped three individuals win conference track championships; one individual cross country conference champion; two individual indoor conference champions; and two individual outdoor conference titlists.
While at Transylvania, Pinkerton took over a track program that finished in last place at the HCAC championships and built it into a competitive program. She had a combined 17 conference individual indoor champions and 11 conference individual outdoor champions over five seasons. Four of her track athletes won Athlete of the Meet. In her final season at Transylvania, Pinkerton's women's team set three indoor and six outdoor school records and the men's team established six indoor and eight outdoor records. One of her women's runners has the second fastest 6k cross country time in program history with six others ranking among the top 13. On the men's side, one of her runners has the fourth fastest 8k cross country time while five others are among the top 15. Additionally, Pinkerton's Transylvania teams earned the USTFCCCA Academic award four straight seasons and she coached a pair of All-Region cross country runners and one national qualifier.
"We are fortunate to hire an outstanding coach like Coach Pinkerton," said Clark. "She improved the programs at each of her previous institutions. One of her strengths is that she will get the most out of our runners. She knows how to win as an athlete and a coach, and understands NCAA Division III."
A native of Millers Creek, N.C., Pinkerton ran NCAA Division I University of North Carolina at Greensboro, earning all-conference honors in cross country (2003, '04). At the time of her graduation, Pinkerton held the UNC-G records in steeplechase, indoor 5k, and indoor and outdoor 3k.
She received her bachelor's degree in nutrition and wellness from North Carolina at Greensboro in 2007, and a master's degree in coaching education from Ohio University. She and husband Norman have one child, Miles.
(Story and photo courtesy of Ozarks Sports Information)