Heather Nelson is the only head coach that has guided the Southeast Missouri soccer program since its inception in 1999. She enters her 25th season at the helm of SEMO soccer in 2023.

In 24 years under her guidance, the Redhawks have posted 18 winning seasons and compiled a 220-154-60 record. Nelson has coached six Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season Champions (2001, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2014, and 2019) and back-to-back OVC Tournament Championship squads (2006 and 2007) that earned berths to the NCAA Women’s Soccer Cup.

Championship Culture

Since the inaugural 1999 season for Southeast Missouri women’s soccer, no Ohio Valley Conference school has captured more than the six regular season championships Nelson’s program has earned.

SEMO has made the OVC Tournament 21 of the 24 seasons, most in league history.  

After the inaugural season in 1999, Nelson guided SEMO to 10 wins the following year, a figure that was matched or surpassed in each of the next seven seasons and 10 times total in the following 19 years.

By year three, she helped guide Southeast Missouri to back-to-back OVC regular season championships (2001, 2002), which saw the Redhawks go undefeated in conference play during each of those years.

In 2001, Southeast Missouri stormed onto the scene with a 16-2 overall record and 5-0 mark in league play. The Redhawks posted an .889 winning percentage, which currently stands as the best in school history.

That team, which claimed the program’s first-ever OVC title, boasted the nation’s lowest goals against average (0.44) and the country’s top shutout percentage (0.72). SEMO allowed only eight goals and posted 13 shutouts in 18 matches. Southeast Missouri also ranked 10th in the nation for points per game (2.67). SEMO set conference records for wins in a season and goals allowed, posting shutouts in all OVC contests.

Southeast Missouri repeated as the league’s regular-season champion in 2002, posting an overall record of 14-4-2 and 6-0 mark in conference play while leading the league in shots, goals allowed, goals against, and shutouts. Following the 2002 season, nine players earned All-OVC honors, including Valerie Henderson and Jenny Hamilton, who were named OVC Player and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. Despite the dominant records and accolades, an OVC Tournament title eluded the Redhawks in each of those seasons. Eastern Illinois pulled off upsets in the tournament championship match of both campaigns.

The Redhawks finally broke through in postseason play during the 2006 OVC Tournament. After a fourth-place regular season finish, Southeast Missouri knocked off top-seeded Samford and blanked Morehead State in the OVC Tournament finals to secure its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 2006. The Redhawks drew nationally ranked Illinois in their program’s first NCAA Tournament game and stifled the Illini offense for much of the first period before eventually falling by a score of 2-0.

SEMO turned that momentum from the 2006 run into a memorable 2007 season that saw the Redhawks finish 12-2-4 in the regular season with an unbeaten 8-0-1 record in OVC play. Southeast won a second-consecutive OVC Tournament, blanking UT Martin in the semifinals and outlasting Samford in penalty kicks in front of a home crowd at Houck Field to earn a return berth to the NCAA Tournament. Southeast Missouri drew in-state rival Missouri and made history in the 43rd minute of that clash when Courtney Alexander scored the program’s first NCAA Tournament goal. The contest went to penalty kicks, where Missouri prevailed despite a valiant effort from the Redhawks.

Nelson earned her third OVC Coach of the Year honor in 2007, marking the most of any women’s soccer coach in league history. Southeast Missouri swept the OVC postseason awards with Alexander claiming OVC Player of the Year, Lindsay Pickering earning OVC Defensive Player of the Year and Ashley Runion collecting the program’s first OVC Freshman of the Year honor. This is the only time in OVC history that a single squad has swept the postseason awards. 

Nelson’s Redhawks won their fourth regular season title in 2011 with a 12-6-1 record and 8-1-0 finish in the OVC. The eight league wins tied the conference record, which was set by Southeast Missouri and Samford in 2007. Nelson was named OVC Coach of the Year for a record fourth time. Jessie Crabtree earned OVC Offensive Player of the Year honors in her lone season at Southeast Missouri while Erin Shulman claimed OVC Freshman of the Year honors. 

The 2012 season was one of adversity for the SEMO soccer program as the team overcame numerous hardships and a tragedy that impacted the entire University and Cape Girardeau community. Nelson was injured in an accident over the summer and spent time away from the sidelines recovering during the first month of the season. In early September, senior defender Meg Herndon was involved in an accident that tragically cut her life short. Equal parts a captain, friend, sister and teammate, Herndon displayed tenacity as a driven defender on the field and was admired by the countless lives she touched in competition and her personal life. Herndon’s No. 2 jersey was retired one year later during a celebration of her life prior to the annual alumnae match. During the event, Herndon’s mother, Cindi Silvey, presented a check for the newly-formed Meghan Herndon Memorial Scholarship.

“It’s amazing knowing that Meg’s legacy is going to live on through her scholarship,” Nelson said. “Her family has been so wonderful as we’ve honored her. It reminds me of my relationship with Meg and how pleasant it was to work with her.”

The 2012 Redhawks overcame many obstacles to finish 7-10-4 overall and 5-3-2 in OVC play to place fourth in the conference. SEMO closed the season by going 4-0-1 and qualified for the OVC Tournament for the third consecutive year. The momentum continued during the tournament as the Redhawks defeated Belmont for the program’s first postseason victory since 2007. The memorable run ended in a 1-0 loss to UT Martin, the eventual OVC champions. Haley Abbott became the fifth player under Nelson to earn OVC Defensive Player of the Year.

2013 marked the 11th winning season in Nelson’s career. Southeast went 8-7-3 overall and 6-2-2 in the OVC to finish third in the conference standings. The Redhawks earned a berth in the OVC Tournament for the fourth year in a row. Ashton Aubuchon was named OVC Defensive Player of the Year, marking the sixth time in Nelson’s tenure that a SEMO player received the accolade and second time that Southeast Missouri has claimed the award in back-to-back seasons (Jenny Hamilton, 2001-02).

2014 saw the Redhawks claim their fifth OVC regular season championship. The Redhawks finished the season 11-6 overall and 8-2 in league play. Southeast defeated SIUE in the regular season finale to win a share of the OVC title with the Cougars. With that win, Southeast earned the right to host the postseason tournament and earned a bye as the No. 1 seed. Freshman Kindra Lierz made history as the first player in the league history to be named OVC Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Lierz was also named First Team All-OVC and to the All-Newcomer Team. Aside from Lierz, the Redhawks had four others earn postseason honors following the 2014 campaign. 

2015 was the Redhawks' third consecutive winning season, a feat that hadn't been done since SEMO had eight straight winning campaigns between 2000 and 2007. Southeast finished the 2015 season going 9-6-7 overall and 3-2-5 in league play. Southeast's seven draws were a program record. Following a pair of road losses to Austin Peay and Murray State, the Redhawks went on to finish the regular season undefeated, going 2-0-4 in the final six matches. Carrying the No. 6 seed into the OVC Tournament, the Redhawks drew No. 3 Jacksonville State in the opening round. The Redhawks played the Gamecocks to a 1-1 draw in a double overtime thriller, and it was Southeast Missouri who advanced to the semifinals following penalty kicks. SEMO took on No. 2 Tennessee Tech and the OVC Defensive Player of the Year in the semis in Murray, Kentucky. The Redhawks took down the Golden Eagles 2-0 to advance to the Championship round for the first time since 2007. The season came to an end following a 1-0 loss to top-seeded Murray State in the Championship match. The Redhawks and Racers played to a scoreless draw in regulation, but Murray State scored the game-winning goal with 53 seconds left in the first overtime to capture the OVC title. 

The 2016 season was highlighted by a season-opening victory over a Southeastern Conference opponent by way of a 1-0 shutout. The win sparked a 6-0-1 start to the campaign. The win over Tennessee was the third over an SEC foe in the history of Nelson’s program and the first since 2004. The Redhawks finished with a 9-6-4 record.

The 2017 season finished with an 8-8-4 record and a run in the Ohio Valley Tournament. The Redhawks defeated Austin Peay 2-1 in the first round and tied Belmont in the Quarterfinals, only to advance on a shootout. SEMO then fell to the OVC Champions, Murray State, in the semifinals. The Redhawks notched a 4-3-3 record in OVC play. 

In 2018, the Redhawks finished 5-8-5 on the season. SEMO made a historic trip out west as they faced Arizona State and Arizona in Tempe, Arizona, at the beginning of the season. SEMO went 0-0-2 in the OVC Tournament, resulting in a shootout in both games. The Redhawks outlasted Belmont in the first round but fell to Eastern Illinois in the quarterfinals. 

SEMO secured its sixth OVC regular season champion title in 2019 with 10-plus wins for the first time since 2014 as they finished 11-5-1 on the season. Nelson was named OVC Coach of the Year for the fifth time and Hailey Block earned OVC Freshman of the Year honors. SEMO fell to SIUE in the semifinals of the OVC Tournament.

The Redhawks fashioned a 7-4-1 overall mark in 2020-21 including a 6-3-1 record during conference play, which tied for third in the Ohio Valley Conference. SEMO finished as the 2020-21 OVC Championship Tournament runners-up, downing top-seeded Murray State, 1-0, in the Semifinals as the fourth seed before falling to SIUE, the 2020-21 Champions, 2-1, in overtime of the Championship Finals.

The Redhawks opened the campaign with five-straight victories and a tie for a six-game (5-0-1) unbeaten streak to start 2020-21. Midfielders Lauren Welker and Emma Brune were named to 2020-21 All-OVC Soccer Teams. Welker earned her first career All-OVC First Team nod while Brune was selected to both the All-OVC Second Team and All-Newcomer Team. Welker, Morgan McCourt and Brune were named to the 2020-21 All-OVC Tournament team.

Nelson captured her 200th career victory at SEMO with a 1-0 win at Belmont on March 9, 2021.

The Redhawks clawed their way into the 2021 OVC Championship Tournament as the seventh seed. SEMO qualified for its fifth-straight OVC Championship Tournament and 20th all-time appearance during the 2021 season.

SEMO went on a Cinderella run in the 2021 OVC Championship Tournament, edging #6 Morehead State, 1-0, in the First Round before eliminating Quarterfinals host, #3 Belmont, 2-1, in overtime. The Redhawks then fell to #2 SIUE, the 2021 OVC Champions, 3-0 in the Semifinals. 

SEMO finished the 2021 campaign with a 7-10-2 overall record (2-4-2 in the OVC). Kiana Khedoo and Elizabeth Rater earned 2021 Second-Team All-OVC honors. Rater was also named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team. Seniors Lauren Welker and Bailey Redden were also both named to the 2021 All-OVC Championship Tournament team.

SEMO finished with a 8-6-3 overall record (4-2-2 in the OVC) during the 2022 campaign. Freshman Cayla Koerner was named 2022 OVC Forward and Freshman of the Year, as well as being selected to both the All-OVC First Team and the All Newcomer Team. Junior Faith Liljegren was named to the 2022 All-OVC second team and named to the 2022 college sports communicators academic all district first team. 

Developing Standout Student-Athletes

In her 23 seasons at Southeast Missouri, Nelson has coached four OVC Players of the Year, seven OVC Defensive Players of the Year and four OVC Freshman of the Year honorees. Additionally, Nelson has coached 105 players who have earned All-OVC accolades since 1999.

Nelson’s student-athletes have earned 102 OVC Players of the Week, 40 OVC All-Tournament honorees, and two OVC Tournament MVPs. 

Nelson has coached many remarkable student-athletes over the last 23 years. Of these, two are currently in the SEMO Hall of Fame. Lindsay Pickering was inducted in 2007 as a dual-sport athlete and Beth Guccione was inducted in 2019 as the first soccer-only athlete. 

Pickering was a two-sport athlete at SEMO, excelling as a member of the women's soccer and softball teams. In soccer, Pickering was a two-time OVC Defensive Player of the Year, winning the coveted honor in 2005 and 2007. She earned First-Team All-OVC accolades each of those seasons and was a second-team pick in 2006. A three-year starting goalkeeper, Pickering rated as Southeast Missouri's career leader in shutouts (28), wins (34) and minutes played (5,233). Pickering was named Second-Team All-OVC in 2006 and landed a spot on the All-OVC Tournament Team in both 2004 and 2005. She is the first soccer player and 18th multiple sport athlete to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Guccione was the 2001 OVC Player of the Year and was a two-time First-Team All-OVC selection in her career. Guccione ranks among the school's top five career leaders in five categories and established three single-season records. She was SEMO's starting goalkeeper when the school first began its women's soccer program in 1999.

The Redhawks also earned regional recognition in 2012 as defender Hayley Abbott earned third-team all-region honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). For the second time in three seasons, a Southeast Missouri player received NSCAA recognition as defender Nikki Edwards earned honorable mention all-region honors in 2010.

Nelson mentored Esmie Gonzales who earned All-Newcomer, Second-Team and three First-Team All-OVC honors between 2016 and 2019. Gonzales was named to the OVC All-Tournament team in both 2017 and 2019. She ranks among SEMO's top five career leaders in goals (28, t-2nd), points (68, t-3rd) and field minutes played (5,612, 5th). The Fort Worth, Texas, native holds the record for shots (223) and is tied for first in game-winning goals (12) and shots on goal (109). 

Nelson’s teams have also performed extremely well in the classroom, posting a 3.3 grade point average or higher in each of her 23 years leading the program. 

For the 2013-14 academic year, the Redhawks posted a 3.72 cumulative grade point average as a team, ranking second nationally out of 323 NCAA Division I soccer programs. The Redhawks posted the third-highest Division I GPA the year prior. 

Nelson’s student-athletes have earned CoSIDA Academic All-District VII honors on seven occasions. She has also coached 68 OVC Medal of Honor recipients. The Redhawks have earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award each of the past 10 seasons.

Morgan McCourt was awarded the Department of Economics' Outstanding Overall Student Award from the Southeast Missouri State University Harrison College of Business during the 2020-21 academic year. Kate Daus was also awarded the Southeast Missouri State University Department of Communication Studies Public Advocacy Award.

Before Southeast Missouri

Prior to building the Redhawks soccer program, Nelson coached at Florida State from 1995-98, helping lay the foundation for the Seminoles in an extremely competitive Atlantic Coast Conference. Nelson’s 1996 and 1997 teams finished with the ACC’s second-best GPA.

Nelson coached the 1986 age group Missouri Olympic Development Program (ODP) team to the 2003 Midwest Region II Championship and represented Region II at the 2004 ODP National Championship.

A former member of Canada’s national team pool, Nelson was a four-year starter at the University of Saskatchewan. After earning her Physical Education degree in 1992, Nelson went on to get her “B” license and coaching diploma at the National Coaching Institute at the University of Victoria in 1993. At the time, Nelson held the distinction of being one of only five Canadian female coaches qualified to coach at the national team level. 

Heather Nelson and her husband, Paul Nelson, the Associate Head Coach at Southeast Missouri, have four children, Jordan, Taylor, Justi, and Chase. Their daughter, youngest daughter Justi, is a freshman on the Redhawks soccer team, while their other daughters, Jordan and Taylor, are both SEMO soccer alums.