Colorado State University Athletics
Football
Heater, Chuck
Chuck Heater
- Title:
- Defensive Coordinator -- Safeties
- Email:
- ramfootball@colostate.edu
Chuck Heater was named Colorado State’s defensive coordinator as part of Steve Addazio’s initial coaching staff in January 2020.
Heater returns to Fort Collins with extensive coaching connections to Addazio including stops together at Florida and Temple, where Heater served as Addazio’s defensive coordinator for their two seasons in Philadelphia. He brings more than four decades of collegiate coaching experience back to Fort Collins, where he was previously the defensive coordinator for head coach Earle Bruce (1991-92).
Prior to joining Addazio’s Rams coaching staff, Heater enjoyed a successful five-year run as the defensive coordinator at Marshall (2013-17), two years as the defensive coordinator at Temple (2011-12), and three years as the assistant defensive coordinator or co-defensive coordinator at Florida (2008-10). He has coached three National Championship teams (Notre Dame, 1988; Florida, 2006 and 2008) and has been part of 30 bowl games with a 24-6 record.
At Marshall, Heater’s arrival preceded a drastic changing of fortunes for the Thundering Herd defense. The year before he arrived at Marshall, the Herd ranked 123rd (second last in the FBS) in scoring defense (43.1 ppg). With Heater calling the defense, Marshall slashed its points allowed per game to 22.9. The 20.1-point improvement was the best by a major college team since Central Michigan improved 20.5 points from 1997 to 1998.
Working with Addazio at Temple, the Owl defense produced the Big East Rookie of the Year in linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who became the first freshman in school history to record at least 100 tackles (101). The Owls ranked third in the league in sacks with 2.27 per contest. In 2011, in the Mid-American Conference, Temple dominated the league, ranking No. 3 nationally in scoring defense behind national champion Alabama and LSU. The Owls recorded two shutouts.
Heater has been associated with six National Coaches of the Year in his playing and coaching career (Barry Alvarez, Earle Bruce, Lou Holtz, Meyer, Bill McCartney and Bo Schembechler) while mentoring 21 NFL Draft selections and 25 NFL players, as well as numerous all-conference picks, including Jim Thorpe Award winner Chris Hudson (Colorado).
Under his guidance, the Gators recorded 116 interceptions, the most in the SEC and the second-best total in the nation during that time frame. In 2010, Heater led the Gator secondary to a No. 3 ranking in SEC pass defense and SEC pass defense efficiency, while ranking second in the conference with 17 interceptions. Safety Ahmad Black was named a second-team All-American in 2010.
In 2009, Heater helped guide a Florida secondary that ranked first in the SEC, the first time since 1988, and second in the nation in pass defense, allowing just 152.8 yards per game. Four opponents failed to crack the 100-yard mark in passing offense against the Gators and six completed fewer than 50 percent of their pass attempts. Heater helped turn around a defensive secondary that was one of the nation's worst in 2007 to rank among the best in 2008.
Heater served as the recruiting coordinator for the 2006 and 2007 Florida classes that ranked among the top two nationally, including No. 1 by several services. The 2008 class was ranked in the top five by several services.
Heater worked alongside Meyer at four different major college programs. In 1986, Heater coached the secondary at Ohio State when Meyer was a graduate assistant. They coached together again at Colorado State from 1991-92, where Heater was the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach and Meyer as the receivers coach. Heater was also a member of the Utah coaching staff in 2004, when the Utes went 12-0.
He spent five years at Washington (1999-2003), and during his first season at Notre Dame (1988), Heater was a member of the coaching staff that led the Irish to a 12-0 record and the 1988 national championship. He also served as the secondary coach at Notre Dame (1988-90), Ohio State (1985-87) and Wisconsin (1982-84). Heater coached the running backs from 1977-78 and the secondary at Toledo from 1979-81. He began his collegiate coaching career in 1976 at Northern Arizona, coaching running backs.
Prior to his standout coaching career, Heater was a three-year letterman at Michigan where he earned All-Big Ten second-team honors as a junior and honorable mention as a senior at running back. He finished his career as UM’s No. 5 career rusher and won the school’s Fielding Yost Award for the most outstanding academic and athletic performance by a senior (1975).
Heater and his wife, Deborah, have three children: Emily, Andy, and Adam. Emily is married to Sean Cronin, also a college coach, and the couple has two daughters, Caitlin and Grace, and a son, Joseph. Andy was a defensive tackle at Washington in 2005 and is now an Airborne Army Ranger. He and his wife, Lauren, have two daughters, Sloan and Quinn. Adam played tight end at UCLA.
THE HEATER FILE
Birthday: Oct. 10, 1952
Hometown: Weston, W.Va.
Education: University of Michigan (1975)
Wife: Deborah
Children: Emily, Andy, and Adam
Coaching Career:
1976 – Northern Arizona (Running Backs)
1977–78 – Toledo (Running Backs)
1979–81 – Toledo (Defensive Backs)
1982–84 – Wisconsin (Defensive Backs)
1985–87 – Ohio State (Defensive Backs)
1988–90 – Notre Dame (Defensive Backs)
1991–92 – Colorado State (Defensive Coordinator)
1993 – Colorado (Recruiting Coordinator)
1994 – Colorado (Defensive Backs)
1995–97 – Colorado (Tight Ends)
1998 – Colorado (Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator)
1999–2001 – Washington (Corners/Recruiting Coordinator)
2002–03 – Washington (Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2004 – Utah (Corners/Recruiting Coordinator)
2005–07 – Florida (Corners/Recruiting Coordinator)
2008–09 – Florida (Assistant Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2010 – Florida (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2011–12 – Temple (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
2013–17 – Marshall (Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2018 – Maryland (Safeties)
2019 – Florida (Assistant)
2020 – Colorado State (Defensive Coordinator)
Heater returns to Fort Collins with extensive coaching connections to Addazio including stops together at Florida and Temple, where Heater served as Addazio’s defensive coordinator for their two seasons in Philadelphia. He brings more than four decades of collegiate coaching experience back to Fort Collins, where he was previously the defensive coordinator for head coach Earle Bruce (1991-92).
Prior to joining Addazio’s Rams coaching staff, Heater enjoyed a successful five-year run as the defensive coordinator at Marshall (2013-17), two years as the defensive coordinator at Temple (2011-12), and three years as the assistant defensive coordinator or co-defensive coordinator at Florida (2008-10). He has coached three National Championship teams (Notre Dame, 1988; Florida, 2006 and 2008) and has been part of 30 bowl games with a 24-6 record.
At Marshall, Heater’s arrival preceded a drastic changing of fortunes for the Thundering Herd defense. The year before he arrived at Marshall, the Herd ranked 123rd (second last in the FBS) in scoring defense (43.1 ppg). With Heater calling the defense, Marshall slashed its points allowed per game to 22.9. The 20.1-point improvement was the best by a major college team since Central Michigan improved 20.5 points from 1997 to 1998.
Working with Addazio at Temple, the Owl defense produced the Big East Rookie of the Year in linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who became the first freshman in school history to record at least 100 tackles (101). The Owls ranked third in the league in sacks with 2.27 per contest. In 2011, in the Mid-American Conference, Temple dominated the league, ranking No. 3 nationally in scoring defense behind national champion Alabama and LSU. The Owls recorded two shutouts.
Heater has been associated with six National Coaches of the Year in his playing and coaching career (Barry Alvarez, Earle Bruce, Lou Holtz, Meyer, Bill McCartney and Bo Schembechler) while mentoring 21 NFL Draft selections and 25 NFL players, as well as numerous all-conference picks, including Jim Thorpe Award winner Chris Hudson (Colorado).
Under his guidance, the Gators recorded 116 interceptions, the most in the SEC and the second-best total in the nation during that time frame. In 2010, Heater led the Gator secondary to a No. 3 ranking in SEC pass defense and SEC pass defense efficiency, while ranking second in the conference with 17 interceptions. Safety Ahmad Black was named a second-team All-American in 2010.
In 2009, Heater helped guide a Florida secondary that ranked first in the SEC, the first time since 1988, and second in the nation in pass defense, allowing just 152.8 yards per game. Four opponents failed to crack the 100-yard mark in passing offense against the Gators and six completed fewer than 50 percent of their pass attempts. Heater helped turn around a defensive secondary that was one of the nation's worst in 2007 to rank among the best in 2008.
Heater served as the recruiting coordinator for the 2006 and 2007 Florida classes that ranked among the top two nationally, including No. 1 by several services. The 2008 class was ranked in the top five by several services.
Heater worked alongside Meyer at four different major college programs. In 1986, Heater coached the secondary at Ohio State when Meyer was a graduate assistant. They coached together again at Colorado State from 1991-92, where Heater was the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach and Meyer as the receivers coach. Heater was also a member of the Utah coaching staff in 2004, when the Utes went 12-0.
He spent five years at Washington (1999-2003), and during his first season at Notre Dame (1988), Heater was a member of the coaching staff that led the Irish to a 12-0 record and the 1988 national championship. He also served as the secondary coach at Notre Dame (1988-90), Ohio State (1985-87) and Wisconsin (1982-84). Heater coached the running backs from 1977-78 and the secondary at Toledo from 1979-81. He began his collegiate coaching career in 1976 at Northern Arizona, coaching running backs.
Prior to his standout coaching career, Heater was a three-year letterman at Michigan where he earned All-Big Ten second-team honors as a junior and honorable mention as a senior at running back. He finished his career as UM’s No. 5 career rusher and won the school’s Fielding Yost Award for the most outstanding academic and athletic performance by a senior (1975).
Heater and his wife, Deborah, have three children: Emily, Andy, and Adam. Emily is married to Sean Cronin, also a college coach, and the couple has two daughters, Caitlin and Grace, and a son, Joseph. Andy was a defensive tackle at Washington in 2005 and is now an Airborne Army Ranger. He and his wife, Lauren, have two daughters, Sloan and Quinn. Adam played tight end at UCLA.
THE HEATER FILE
Birthday: Oct. 10, 1952
Hometown: Weston, W.Va.
Education: University of Michigan (1975)
Wife: Deborah
Children: Emily, Andy, and Adam
Coaching Career:
1976 – Northern Arizona (Running Backs)
1977–78 – Toledo (Running Backs)
1979–81 – Toledo (Defensive Backs)
1982–84 – Wisconsin (Defensive Backs)
1985–87 – Ohio State (Defensive Backs)
1988–90 – Notre Dame (Defensive Backs)
1991–92 – Colorado State (Defensive Coordinator)
1993 – Colorado (Recruiting Coordinator)
1994 – Colorado (Defensive Backs)
1995–97 – Colorado (Tight Ends)
1998 – Colorado (Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator)
1999–2001 – Washington (Corners/Recruiting Coordinator)
2002–03 – Washington (Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator)
2004 – Utah (Corners/Recruiting Coordinator)
2005–07 – Florida (Corners/Recruiting Coordinator)
2008–09 – Florida (Assistant Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2010 – Florida (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2011–12 – Temple (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs)
2013–17 – Marshall (Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2018 – Maryland (Safeties)
2019 – Florida (Assistant)
2020 – Colorado State (Defensive Coordinator)
Colorado State Football: Jay Norvell Weekly Press Conference - Week 2 (2025)
Monday, September 01
Colorado State Football: Long (L) and Warren (R) Postgame (Washington, 2025)
Sunday, August 31
Colorado State Football: Jay Norvell Post-Game (Washington, 2025)
Sunday, August 31
Colorado State Football: Jay Norvell Weekly Press Conference - Week 1 (2025)
Monday, August 25
