Plum hires former Mars football coach, athletic director Scott Heinauer as interim AD

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, February 14, 2023 | 9:52 PM

The Plum School Board on Tuesday appointed former Mars athletic director and football coach Scott Heinauer as interim athletic director and coordinator of student activities.

Heinauer is expected to begin his duties soon and work with outgoing athletic director Brian Miller to guide the Plum athletes still involved in the winter sports seasons and also prepare for the opening of the spring sports season March 6.

The board officially will approve the appointment at its next action/voting meeting Feb. 28.

“I am thrilled to be back in athletics,” Heinauer said in a press release. “I have a passion for assisting student-athletes to compete at the highest levels. This is something that I love to do, and I am very excited to work with the Plum Borough School District students, coaches and parents to bring out the best in the students.”

Miller stepped down last month after one year with Plum athletics. He cited family reasons for his decision.

Heinauer said Tuesday he is not sure how long he will be Plum’s interim athletic director, but he is ready to serve as long as he is needed.

“I am looking forward to sharing what I believe are the important elements for team and athletic department success,” he said. “I can’t wait to work with the coaches and community to build upon the solid foundation in athletics that has been previously established.”

Heinauer’s resume in athletics dates to the early 1980s as a high school head coach for boys and girls track, girls basketball and football.

He was hired as the athletic director at Mars in 1988 and served in that capacity until retiring in 2022.

Heinauer was named the 2014 Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association Athletic Director of the Year, and he has served as the president and vice president of the both the WPIAL Athletic Director’s Association and the Midwestern Athletic Director’s Association, vice president of the Northern Athletic Directors Association and the president of the Northern Association of Football Coaches.

He also was a member of the WPIAL Board of Control for 14 years and is a current member of the WPIAL Board of Directors.

As Mars’ head football coach from 1991-2021, Heinauer guided the Planets to more than 200 victories, 25 WPIAL playoff appearances, a pair of WPIAL title games and nine conference championships.

Heinauer is enshrined in the Mars High School Hall of Fame (2013), the Sto-Rox Athletic Hall of Fame (2015) and the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame (2017).

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Plum