Jay Heaps
John Franklin Heaps (born August 2, 1976), better known as Jay Heaps, is an American former soccer player who currently serves as president and general manager of Birmingham Legion FC. He is a former head coach for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.
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Personal information | |||||||||||||
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Full name | John Franklin Heaps III | ||||||||||||
Date of birth | August 2, 1976 | ||||||||||||
Place of birth | Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S. | ||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||
Playing position(s) | Defender | ||||||||||||
College career | |||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||
1995–1998 | Duke Blue Devils | ||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||
1999–2001 | Miami Fusion | 71 | (8) | ||||||||||
2001–2009 | New England Revolution | 243 | (9) | ||||||||||
Total | 314 | (17) | |||||||||||
National team | |||||||||||||
2009 | United States | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||
Teams managed | |||||||||||||
2011–2017 | New England Revolution | ||||||||||||
2018– | Birmingham Legion FC (president) | ||||||||||||
Honours
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* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
After a successful college career at Duke University, Heaps spent his entire professional playing career in Major League Soccer, initially with Miami Fusion, and then with New England Revolution, for whom he made over 250 appearances in all competitions. Towards the end of his career Heaps also played with the United States men's national soccer team, earning four caps at the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He was coach of the New England Revolution from 2011 to 2017. He was also part of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winning 2007 roster and was part of the 2008 North American SuperLiga winning roster. He was on the Miami Fusion team from 1999 to 2001. He then played for the New England Revolution from 2001 to 2009. He won Defender of the Year in 2009 for the New England Revolution.
Career
College
After graduating from Longmeadow High School, Heaps played college soccer at Duke University from 1995 to 1998, spending most of his time playing forward. He was named first team All-ACC all four of his years, was a three-time finalist for the Hermann Award, and as a senior was awarded the Hermann Trophy by the Missouri Athletic Club, marking him as the nation's top college player. Additionally, Heaps played for the Duke University basketball team under Mike Krzyzewski from 1996 to 1999.
Professional
After graduating from Duke, Heaps was drafted second overall in the 1999 MLS College Draft by Miami Fusion, and was named MLS Rookie of the Year after playing 2511 minutes for the team in midfield and defense. In his second year, Heaps was named an MLS All-Star, while registering 5 goals and six assists for the Fusion. Before the 2001 season, he was traded to the New England Revolution in exchange for Brian Dunseth. In the 2006 MLS Cup Championship, his penalty kick was saved by Pat Onstad, winning the championship for the opposing Houston Dynamo.
Heaps announced his retirement from the game on December 3, 2009.[1]
International
As of February 2009, Heaps had played more MLS matches (289) than any other American player who had not received a cap for the United States.[2] On June 25, 2009, Heaps received his first call-up for the United States for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. On July 11, 2009, Heaps made his debut with the United States against Haiti.
Post-playing career
After announcing his retirement from professional soccer, Heaps joined Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, providing customized investment advice and portfolio management for ultra high-net-worth individuals.
In 2010, Heaps became the color commentator for the New England Revolution games on Comcast SportsNet New England, alongside Brad Feldman.
In 2018, Heaps was announced as the first president and general manager of the expansion USL club Birmingham Legion FC in Birmingham, AL.
Coaching career
On November 14, 2011, Heaps was named the head coach for the New England Revolution,[3] replacing former Revolution coach Steve Nicol whose contract was not renewed following the 2011 Major League Soccer season. In the 2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons, the results of this change appeared positive, with each year after the first showing improved results. In 2014, the Revolution made it to the MLS Cup – thanks in part to midseason signing Jermaine Jones – narrowly losing to the LA Galaxy. However, in 2015, the team was eliminated from playoff contention in the knockout round, and in 2016, they failed to qualify entirely.
As of July 21, 2017, the team sits 10th out of 11 in the Eastern Conference, with SportsClubStats.com offering a 7% chance of the team making the playoffs.[4] This has led to speculation that Heaps is or should be facing removal as head coach.[5] On September 18, it was reported first on Goal.com that Jay had been fired by the New England Revolution and that his spot would be filled in by assistant coach Tom Soehn.[6]
Managerial statistics
- As of match played 16 September 2017[7]
Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
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G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
New England Revolution | 14 November 2011 | 19 September 2017 | 223 | 88 | 46 | 89 | 325 | 319 | +6 | 39.46 | |
Total | 223 | 88 | 46 | 89 | 325 | 319 | +6 | 39.46 |
Honors
New England Revolution
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (1): 2007
- North American SuperLiga (1): 2008
Individual
- MLS Rookie of the Year: 1999
References
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 7, 2009. Retrieved December 3, 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Scaryice (February 16, 2009). "Most MLS Games Without A USMNT Cap". Climbing the Ladder. Retrieved February 16, 2009.
- "Revolution to name Heaps".
- Roberts, Ken. "New England Revolution Playoff Chances - Sports Club Stats". www.sportsclubstats.com.
- "Should Jay Heaps be fired?".
- "Sources: Jay Heaps out as New England Revolution coach - Goal.com".
- "Jay Heaps career sheet". footballdatabase. footballdatabase. Retrieved April 13, 2020.