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Ted Heath - Coaching

Ted HeathTed Heath was raised across the street from Rich Neidbala and they have remained lifelong friends. In Ted’s senior year at Beaver Falls, Larry Bruno took the head coaching position, which proved to be a great choice for both Ted and Beaver Falls football. He learned a great deal from Coach Bruno and considered him to be his second father. He was selected to play in the Penn-Ohio All Star game at the end of his senior year. He was the only lineman to start both ways for the Pennsylvania team.

Coach Bruno made a call to Coach Pederson at Western Colorado State University and Ted was on a westbound train. The last three years of college he started as a two-way lineman on the varsity team. After graduation, Ted was then awarded a graduated assistantship in the Math Department where he taught College Algebra and Trigonometry. This enabled him to coach football, which was the beginning of his lifelong career in football. He received a Masters Degree in Secondary School Administration with supporting courses in math.

The first stop in Ted’s collegiate coaching career was Kansas State University where he was the varsity offensive line coach. Before he left Kansas State he met his wife, Linda, who was teaching school in a small town near Manhattan. After dating for three years and with his father’s encouragement they married the summer of 1976.

Moving east, he became offensive line coach at the University of Louisville. The last two years were spent as the defensive line coach and administrative assistant to the head coach. The most important highlights of this stop were the births of their children Gregory in 1978 and Karen in 1980.

He then went south to Tulane University where he was the assistant head coach. While at Tulane the team played Arkansas in the Hall of Fame Bowl and beat LSU two years in a row.

The next move took him to the Canadian Professional Football League. He coached the defensive line for the Ottawa Rough Riders for two years.

Ted then headed west to coach the Saskatchewan Rough Riders. In 1989 the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup with an exciting win in the last 30 seconds of the game.

In 1992 it was time to head back home to the US. Ted spent one season at the University of Central Florida and then took the outside linebackers position at Temple University. He spent five years at Temple.

From Temple, he went to Ottumwa, Iowa as a math teacher and football coach. The Ottumwa school system allowed Ted to coach the New York Dragons Arena Football team for three seasons. He spent twelve years teaching math and coaching football and track. He impacted many young lives. In twelve years, the Ottumwa football team made the state playoff nine times.

In 2010, Ted retired and moved to Omaha, Nebraska to be closer to family. However, football had been such a big part of his life that he started coaching for Iowa Western Community College in the fall of 2010. In 2012, Iowa Western won the National Championship.

Ted is very proud of his children and their families. All have a great work ethic and have learned to make friends as they have moved around the country. Ted told his kids that the only thing that he gave them was a good geography lesson. He is always excited to spend time with his four beautiful grandchildren.

More about Ted Heath

Hometown: Beaver Falls, PA

High School: Beaver Falls High School

College:
 Western State College – (BA) Math – (MA) Administration, 
Washington State University – Graduate work in Mathematics, 
Temple University – Graduate work in Administration

Playing Experience:
 Defensive Tackle / Offensive Tackle – Western State College, (CO)

Coaching Experience:
 1965-67 Defensive Coord – Capitol HS (ID)
, 1968-69 Head Coach – Centerville Community College (IA)
, 1970-74 Defensive Line Coach – Kansas State University (KS), 
1975-79 Defensive Line Coach – University of Louisville (KY)
, 1980-1984 Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Line – Tulane University (LA)
, 1985-86 Defensive Line Coach – Ottawa Rough Riders (CFL)
, 1987-91 Defensive Coord – Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL)
, 1992 Defensive Line – Nevada Aces (PSFL), 
Defensive Coord – New Orleans Night (AFL)
, Defensive Line – University of Central Florida (FL)
, 1993-97 DL / OLB / Special Teams Coord – Temple University (PA), 
2000-02 Offensive Line – New York Dragons (AFL)
, 1998-2009 Assistant Coach – Ottumwa HS (IA)
, 2010-Present, Iowa Western Community College

Back to 2015 Inductees & Honorees

Larry Bruno Foundation

Hall of Achievement & Museum

1112 7th Avenue
Beaver Falls, PA 15010

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