Renata Heard enters her fifth season at the helm of the Southeast Missouri State volleyball team. Since taking over the program on February 2, 2005 as the seventh head coach in Redhawks volleyball history, she has guided the team to four-straight OVC Tournament appearances. That extended the programs impressive streak to 18 consecutive appearances that dates back to 1983.
She has turned her team into one of the top defensive teams not only in the OVC but in the country. Her teams have averaged among the top-30 teams in the country in digs during her four seasons at the head of the program including a final ranking of 14th nationally in digs during the 2008 season.
In just her third season in charge, she was named OVC Coach of the Year in 2007 after guiding the Redhawks to their first OVC regular season title in seven years as the team tied for the co-championship. That team went 20-12 and 15-5 in OVC play.
The 20 wins were the most victories in the program since 2002 and the 15 conference wins are the most since 2000.
Last season the team posted their third campaign with 11 or more OVC wins under "Coach Ren" as the team went 11-7 and finished third in the standings.
During the 2006 season the Redhawks posted a pair of upsets to advance to the OVC Tournament finals against eventual champion Jacksonville State. It was their first appearance in the championship match since 2002.
In her first season, Coach Ren guided the Redhawks to a season record of 16-16, the program's first finish at .500 since 2001.
She took over the Redhawks program on Feb. 2, 2005 after serving as an understudy to coaching legend Cindy Gannon for four years as a graduate assistant and assistant coach for the Southeast program.
Coach Ren has coached two AVCA All-Region selections, seven First Team and five Second Team All-OVC selections, three OVC All-Newcomer Team selections, one AVCA National Player of the Week and 20 OVC Players of the Week since arriving at Southeast.
Numerous players have ranked nationally in individual statistics under Coach Ren's tutelage. In 2005 standout setter Jamie Baumstark ranked 31st in the NCAA in assists per set. In 2006 Jessica Koeper ranked 41st nationally in kills per set and the last two seasons current libero Molly Davis has ranked nationally in digs per set including ranking 55th last season.
Originally from Stoney Creek, Ontario, Coach Ren has been Club Director for SEMO Attack Volleyball Club for the past six years. In addition, she has been camp director for all Southeast volleyball camps and has coached at various high school and collegiate camps throughout the United States and Canada.
A standout collegiate volleyball player at the University of Mississippi where she earned her bachelor's degree in 2001. In 2004, Coach Ren received her Master's Degree in Sports Administration from Southeast. She holds career records of fifth all-time in assists with 2,023 and fourth in single-season assists with a total of 1,378 in 2000. Nowacki also tied the school's single-match assist record with 73 helpers against Auburn. In her senior season, she averaged 11.68 assists and 2.64 digs per game.
Coach Ren is married to Grant Heard, an assistant football coach at Lambuth University. She resides in Cape Girardeau with her boxers Remi and Rocky.
