Kris Heavner in 2007 fall practice during his senior season. Tucson Citizen file photo
Former University of Arizona quarterback Kris Heavner is quickly making a name for himself as a high school coach.
Heavner, 29, is in his first season as the head coach at Phoenix Horizon High, and he was chosen as the state’s Best Coach at midseason in a story by Dick Obert of the Arizona Republic, our Gannett partner.
Heavner coached Santa Rita High in 2012 before landing the Horizon job. Before that, he was an offensive graduate assistant at Arizona in 2011, working closely with quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo.
Heavner finished his UA playing career in 2007 and then spent three seasons as an office aide under coach Mike Stoops, watching and learning from coach Sonny Dykes and his spread attack.
Here is what Obert wrote about Heavner:
“This twentysomething coach is red-hot with an offense that hasn’t been stopped. He has turned junior quarterback Dalton Sneed and his speedy athletes loose in Sonny Dykes’ offense he learned as a grad assistant at the University of Arizona under Mike Stoops, and they’ve responded with a 4-1 record that included a 63-point outburst against Scottsdale Desert Mountain. Horizon not only has made the move from Division II, but the Huskies have taken D.I by storm. Horizon has scored 267 points, 136 in the past two weeks.”
Heavner started 14 games for Arizona in the 2003 and 2004 seasons before transferring to Baylor for the fall of 2005. He returned to UA in spring 2006 as a walk-on.
Obert also selected Salpointe Catholic junior linebacker Taylor Powell as the state’s best defensive player at midseason, writing:
“This 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker is averaging 12 tackles through five games, leading a defense that is arguably the best in the state at any division. Powell also has four sacks and 10 quarterback hurries, a caused fumble and an interception, as Salpointe has allowed just 28 points with no team, including Tempe Marcos de Niza, Crespi (California) and Liberty (Nevada), not scoring more than a touchdown.”